Wine brand Castello del Poggio gets facelift from Denomination

Australian drinks design studio Denomination has given a revamp to Italian wine brand Castello del Poggio in a bid to improve its US market position.

The brand's owner Zonin1821 - the largest private vine-growing and winemaking company in Italy - approached Denomination looking for a design refresh that could help it compete with challenger brands in the sweet wine and Italian sectors in North America.

To achieve the goal, Denomination worked to highlight Castello del Poggio's genuine Italian heritage - a marketing strategy that has proven effective among US consumers. 

Rowena Curlewis, CEO of Denomination, said: "Castello del Poggio is one of very few brands in this sector with authentic Italian roots. It also has an upbeat 'La Dolce Vita' philosophy.

"But all this had become muted over previous design iterations, and there was insufficient stand-out on shelf. Our goal was to celebrate that legacy and joyful ethos with a lively and confident brand and packaging identity."

She added: "The illustrative style has provided a strrong foundation for the brand to express itself, not only on pack but also off pack."

The brand mark and crest are now contained in a shield and the crest has been redrawn to hero the 'castello', which appears on the label and embossed on the bottle shoulder. As well as appealing to consumers through quality cues and celebration of heritage, the packaging strategy aimed to build a solid foundation for future growth.

Francesco Zonin, vice president of Zonin1821 and seventh-generation member of the family company, said: "Denomination has celebrated what Castello del Poggio really is - a unique Italian brand worthy of note - and has given us the tools to communicate that to our target consumers.

"It's also a flexible design solution. We've been able to intrroduce new variants, which fit perfectly into the portfolio."

18 January 2021 - Bethany Whymark