From Wine Snobs to Party Starters

Prisoner Wine Company | 2023

Unshackled was a quiet but mighty brand looking to reach a younger audience

Looking to break free of preconceived notions of what a wine brand is “supposed” to be, Unshackled’s parent company The Prisoner Wines tapped in my team to devise a strategy to break through.

and needed a G2M strategy to do it.

This case study looks at the creation of a hit campaign for Unshackled’s FY23 G2M campaigning. Though the strategic platform my team developed for them is vast, and I’d love to express it here, its confidential. ;)

Through original qualitative research, we saw that young drinkers just don’t fit into the “wine drinker” box— they don’t want to fit into any box.

And interestingly, as the originators of the Red “Blend” decades ago, neither does Unshackled.

We needed to break down what it means to be a “wine drinker.”

Our survey data told us how our audience wears their many identities simultaneously. They know that each side of themselves is just as valid as the other. For them, being a “wine drinker” was a fixed idea that was a barrier to the enjoyment of wine.

for an audience who’re still figuring themselves out.

For Unshackled, we found a role to play in helping this new audience “figure out” why wine drinking is so pleasurable. We had to get past the pressure to know oenological terms or how to hold a glass correctly (though, I still insist on different vessels for red and white wines.)

Our proposition: you don’t have to be a “wine drinker” to enjoy the magic of wine— be, reveal, the blend of forces, loves, and passions that make you, you.

We aimed to tell stories about the unexpected Tuesday nights with friends, spontaneous kitchen Tangos, and conversations that last until sunrise that can be unlocked with responsible wine consumption.

To break through, we needed a collection of real stories that capture real experiences of freedom.

So I listened to the real stories of more experienced wine drinkers for inspiration. In their stories, I noted moments of overcoming fears, exploring new places and cultures, expressing new sides of oneself.

from a multiple, diverse points of view.

My source material turned into loose scripts that would require an ingenious approach to bring them to life. We wanted real, un-staged, and free.

How do you capture freedom on a set? You throw a party.

We hired a real band, cast real friends as “actors,” and threw a real house party. The ideas in my scripts became loose guides for genuine moments—laughter that couldn't be directed, connections that couldn't be staged.