Australian winery Fourth Wave launches plant-based Hello! range

Australian winery Fourth Wave has launched a new range of "friendly" plant-based wines in collaboration with drinks design agency Denomination.

The Hello! range - which includes red and white wines - has been made without animal-based ingredients such as bone, casein and isinglass to make them friendly for all consumers. 

Fourth Wave is aiming to capitalise on the growing plant-based movement, which is seeing more people opt for veganism or vegetarianism in a bid to reduce their animal product consumption and their environmental footprint.

In helping to develop brand strategy and product identity for the Hello! range, Denomination moved away from the "typically brown and pious" approach to branding in plant-based products, using pastel shades to create a soft, reassuring feel and matte paperstock to reinforce the brand's natural positioning. 

Rowena Curlewis, Denomination CEO, said: "Hello! wanted to embrace all wine lovers without alienating vegans and vegetarians, so the messaging on the front and back labels is open, friendly and clear. We had to remember that it's not necessarily obvious to people without a knowledge of wine production processes that a lot of wine is not vegan-friendly."

She added: "Hello! is contemporary, forward-thinking and part of the zeitgeist. It delivers a positive message which is perfect for today, and gives Fourth Wave a strong position in this fast-growing sector."

Nicholas Crampton, co-owner of Fourth Wave, said: "It's important that our sector responds to the plant-based movement in a modern, cool way, just as other sectors have. Hello! is a very friendly wine that happens to be vegan, too. We want everyone to feel the love.

"Denomination has communicated the brand's credentials without relying on clichéd vegan design cues. It's natural, it treads lightly, but it's never worthy or dull."

17 September 2020 - Bethany Whymark