Three-time International Winemaker of the Year, McGuigan Wines, has appointed Sydney creative agency, BLOKE, after a three way competitive pitch to raise brand awareness both in Australia and the UK.

“Wine advertising has become so serious,” Mike O’Rourke, creative partner at BLOKE explains. “It used to be fun and it’s what made Australian wines stand out from the rest. We’d like to bring some levity back and we’re really pleased that the team at McGuigan felt the same way.”

The McGuigan name is synonymous with Australian winemaking, with four generations of the family having made wine their life. Demonstrating a deep commitment and passion for hand-crafting fine Australian wines, McGuigan Wines was crowned International Winemaker of the Year at the prestigious International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) in London in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

“BLOKE’s campaign idea sits perfectly with our overall marketing strategy,” said Scott Burton, marketing manager for McGuigan Wines parent company Australian Vintage. ‘It’s about leveraging our brand values of warmth, openness and authenticity to create that connection and resonance with the consumer. We’re really looking forward to working with BLOKE to bring it to life.”

“McGuigan have essentially done the hard work for us, making award-winning wine for four generations” Mike said. “All we need to do is project their message in such a way that people’s first instinct at the liquor store is to reach for a McGuigan.”