McCann scoops £10m wine brief

McCann-Erickson has won the £10m global account for Southcorp Wines, the parent company of leading Australian brands Lindemans and Penfolds.

McCann-Erickson has won the &£10m global account for Southcorp Wines, the parent company of leading Australian brands Lindemans and Penfolds.

The agency was awarded the business after pitching against Saatchi & Saatchi. McCann will take over the &£5m UK and European account from incumbent BMP DDB.

Southcorp Wines’ group general manager for marketing Gordon Hardie says the company plans to upgrade its marketing infrastructure worldwide and to accelerate the global brand-building strategy.

He adds: “The market for wine is changing rapidly world-wide and there is significant opportunity to develop global brands and to establish partnerships that best leverage our brands, ideas and skills globally.”

The company sells 200 million bottles of wine a year worldwide, with Europe accounting for 60 million.

As well as the two leading wine brands Lindemans and Penfolds, the company sells wine under the Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Seaview, Seppelt, Coldstream Hills and Devils Lair labels, as well as Seven Peaks – a joint venture with Central Coast of California – and James Herrick, a southern French brand.

McCann-Erickson’s joint managing director Chris Hunton says as UK drinkers become more sophisticated in their wine selection, the premium heritage of brands such as Penfolds and Lindemans offer a great chance to “share their history with new audiences” and create “increasing numbers of loyal drinkers”.