Blackburn’s to push Italian wines

In a bid to take market share from New World competitors, wine distributor Private Liquor Brands is to launch a range of Italian wines next month, with branding and packaging by Blackburn’s.

Entitled Italian Icons, the brand will be applied to classic Italian wine varieties such as Valpolicella, Pinot Grigio and Frascati, distributing to major supermarkets and wine merchants across the UK.

Blackburn’s named the range and will also design point-of-sale material and advertising for the brand. The consultancy was briefed to give ‘neglected classic wines’ a ‘vibrant and contemporary feel’, according to creative director Belinda Duggan.

‘Italian wines used to be very successful in the UK market, but they aren’t keeping up with their competitors from Australia, South Africa and Chile,’ she says.

‘People buy what they see rather than what they taste. They will look at a bottle of Frascati and think “that’s not really me”. PLB has identified an opportunity to update and refresh that image.’

Duggan did not want the visual identity to be too traditional, but rather ‘fresh and modern’. The marque features two elongated letter Ls, ‘reminiscent of Roman columns and architecture’, and the red and green reflect the colours of the Italian flag, reinforcing the brand’s provenance, she explains.

Blackburn’s was appointed to the project in May without a pitch.

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