V & 9 WINE
The Problem
Planning to export top end Australian wine into the luxury end of the Chinese market, our client came to us seeking a brand and product name as well as a visual identity that reflected the premium nature of their pedigree red and white wines. Their goal was to appeal not only to Chinese cultural priorities, but also to those seeking a brand with status.
CREATIVE
To attract the highest end of the Chinese market and compete with a heavily saturated industry, our concept needed to be extremely precise and well researched. This led us to deep dive into what our target consumers saw as aspirational. Both product names were born from exploring social status, position in society and cultural identity. ‘V’ symbolised respect, honour, tradition, and reputation while ‘9’ represented nobility.
DESIGN
The visual identity for the wines had to resonate with an elite section of the market. Our branding and packaging design utilised colour, design, texture and visual clues to trigger desire and aspiration. Our aim was to design a look that purchaser’s would want to be associated with.
The solution
The cultural significance of honour, wealth and aspirational social mobility formed the backbone of our branding research.
In Chinese culture the number 9 is associated with longevity, prosperity and health, being used by emperors throughout history as a symbol of great power and eternal reign. Naming their white offering ‘9’ linked beautifully back to the winemaker’s origins with 9 major wine producing towns existing within the Barossa Valley.
‘V’ took its influence from The Victoria Cross medal, representing an intersection of values between our two cultures and a symbol of respect, honour, tradition, and reputation. The name would be the launching pad to a brand infused with cultural significance, desirability and sophistication.