Wine served with conviction - a new brand takes on an old story

Australians know their history well – and whether they like it or not, the continent’s earliest immigrants were often young British men sent ‘down under’ in shackles to serve out convictions in the country’s extensive penal colonies. There were 19 Crimes that could land one on a ship to Australia including 'stealing fish from a pond' and 'impersonating an Egyptian.' Once they earned their freedom, many of these same men and their descendants helped forge the identity of a country that we know and love today.

With that in mind, a new nationwide campaign for an Australian wine called ‘19 Crimes’ is launching this week. This is J. Walter Thompson San Francisco's first U.S. campaign for the brand since the global agency began working with Treasury Wine Estate’s last February. The ‘19 Crimes’ label, part of the wine brand, is targeting the coveted millennial male demographic.

Leveraging the distinct history that inspired the name for the brand, the campaign makes use of the compelling photographs that appear on the wine label of every 19 Crimes bottle: the real 19th-century mug shots of British convicts banished to Australia for their crimes.

Although it is considered a surprising departure from what’s typical of the wine category, the goal it is to pair these eye-catching visuals with a clever reference to the countries historic roots like ”perfect for serving 5 to 10.” Or “wine with conviction.” The out-of home advertising effort is a true reflection of 19 Crimes’ bold brand identity with an eye towards the millennial male demographic here.

According to new research from the Wine Market Council this year, millennials drank 42 per cent of all wine in the U.S. in 2015, outpacing any other generation.