TWE 19 Crimes The Banished

The Banished dark red blend is expanding in to the convenience sector

Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates is preparing a Halloween push for its 19 Crimes wine brand.

Promotional neck collars will roll out across all SKUs as 31 October approaches. Shoppers will be able to download an app to see the ‘rogue’ characters featured on the bottles speak to them.

TWE is also planning a spate of in-store sampling activity around for the brand, the name of which comes from the 19 crimes punishable in the 1700s and 1800s by transportation to Australia.

The push will see 19 Crimes take on Concha Y Toro’s flagship brand, Casillero Del Diablo, which typically ramps up its marketing in the run-up to Halloween.

It comes as The Banished, 19 Crimes’ 13.5% abv dark red blend, is expanding in to the convenience sector, having landed in Asda early this summer. It recently rolled out to Costco and Bargain Booze.

Sales of the brand rose 90.1% to £2.3m over the past 12 months [Nielsen 52 w/e 15 July 2018].

It was targeted squarely at male millennial customers, said TWE MD Tom King. “Our understanding of those consumers was that they were looking for brands with great stories and great packaging. The nature of the story of the 19 crimes and the rogues encourages them to enjoy wines without the usual rules in place.”

Against a backdrop of stagnating Australian wine sales, 19 Crimes was “attempting to reinvigorate the category by appealing to male millennials” said Nielsen senior client manager Ana Godoy.

“While only 8.5% of light wine sales come from 18 to 34-year-olds, early signs suggest they account for 45% of this brand’s sales – indicating that the strategy is working.”