Vin Crowd teams up with online retailer Nasty Gal for summer campaign

Kingsland Drinks has announced a on-pack partnership between its Vin Crowd brand and online clothing retailer Nasty Gal to draw in more Gen Z drinkers.

Launching in summer 2021, the collaboration will see Nasty Gal offer consumers the chance to win seasonal themed prizes and a 10 per cent discount on its web store for Vin Crowd shoppers.

Vin Crowd, a ready-to-drink wine brand which debuted in 2020, hopes the partnership will support its growing ranks of Gen Z shoppers and help it tap into the student market.

The past 12 months have seen strong growth in the ready-to-drink market, with spirit, wine and cocktail brands announcing new products. Kingsland Drinks also hopes to capitalise on a trend for 'top-up spending' in convenience environments, promoting spontaneous purchases of Vin Crowd cans.

Fiona Nicholls, brand manager for Vin Crowd, said: "Nasty Gal taps into a young shopper demographic; for us this is the of-age drinkers and students. We know from how these shoppers interact that they are looking for social tribes and this reflects in what they purchase. 

"Nasty Gal is a thriving brand with a core following among young adults. Vin Crowd has a similar shopper profile, so the brand partnership feels like a natural fit. We are hoping to maximise on Nasty Gal’s established reach, and the thriving community it has built, to grow in our second year and drive purchases in store."

The Nasty Gal and Vin Crowd collaboration will be supported with an integrated PR and marketing campaign, along with shopper marketing activation.

Sarah Parry, senior marketing executive for Nasty Gal, said: "This summer is going to be all about outdoor occasions and catching up with friends after a long winter in lockdown - shoppers will be looking for that killer new look for work, play, or that upcoming vacation and for products that service their on-the-go socialising. 

"We know collaborations work hard for our brand, they have high engagement among our shopper audience and convert to webstore sales. It is important we team up with brands that reflect our shopper attitude, and Vin Crowd feels like a natural fit."

Vin Crowd launched in Co-op, Nisa and Costcutter stores in March 2020, positioning itself as as an on-the-go option for non-wine drinkers. Its Pink Spritz and Botanical Spritz are now among the best-selling canned wine SKUs in the market place, according to IRI MarketPlace.

To start its second year, Vin Crowd has changed up its recipe, swapping fermented grape base for a Spanish wine to improve its wine content and quality.

Reflecting on Vin Crowd's first year, Fiona Nicholls said: "Despite the limitations of socialising and events we have still seen steady growth in the convenience sector, with many people looking for fun alternatives to a glass of wine or a beer - impulsively buying treats to liven up a lockdown evening."

24 March 2021 - Bethany Whymark