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60 WINES&VINES August 2018 PACKAGING Wine Labels for a Sensory Experience From technology to texture, packaging with a purpose is now more important than ever By Stacy Briscoe # WIYG (What's in your glass) and how one celebrates #WW (wine Wednesday) or #TT (thirsty Thurs- day) are the new conversations in wine. People are engaging with fellow #winelovers and sharing #longdistancecheers via Twitter chats and #winestagrams every day. Social media has brought the world of wine closer together, while at the same time it's opening up a much wider variety of wines for the average consumer to choose from. As wine conversations have evolved, so has wine packaging. As the competition for consumer attention is growing fiercer than ever, wine packaging is that much more important. David Schuemann, owner and creative prin- cipal for CF Napa Brand Design in Napa, Calif., says quality packaging accomplishes three things: It invites product trial, speaking to the consumers in a specific, engaging way; it rein- forces the quality of the product, making con- sumers feel they're purchasing something of value; and it promotes product recall, giving consumers something they'll remember and repurchase. "The toughest part is for compa- nies to boil it down to one stake in the ground," Schuemann said. "A lot of packaging tries to do too much." He stresses the importance for wineries to tell their stories in digestible snippets consum- ers can easily relate to, remember and pass along. Telling the longer story with tech With the innovation of augmented-reality (AR) labels popularized by Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) brands' 19 Crimes, Gentleman's Collec- tion, Beringer Vineyards, Chateau St. Jean Winery & Vineyards, and the recent addition, Walking Dead Wines, there's now an option for wineries to tell a longer, more detailed story. "We asked ourselves, 'How can we tell our stories more eloquently?'" said Michelle Terry, chief marketing officer for TWE. Terry said that she and her team working in the Bay Area "keep their fingers on the pulse" of what's new in tech, and when they saw AR was available in the tech realm, got together with their cre- ative agency to see what they could do to bring their wine labels to life. Terry said AR has been the driver for the 19 Crimes brand, which has seen double-digit growth since the new labels hit shelves in July 2017, growing it to a 1.5 million-case brand. "And the Walking Dead demand has exceeded expectations," she said, adding that both the Blood Red Blend and Cabernet Sauvignon are now on allocation because they've sold so strongly. While the 19 Crimes criminal confessions and Walking Dead fighting zombies are geared toward entertainment appeal, Terry said, TWE recognizes such a fantastic approach isn't ap- propriate for all brands. AR for Chateau St. Jean is more informative and educational, featuring narration by winemaker Margo Van Staaveren speaking about the estate vineyards. "The ele- ments in the label trigger an experience," Terry said; the proper experience is chosen based on both the brand and target audience. Treasury Wine Estate's living label apps engage consumers with augmented reality label designs.