Charlotte’s Paradise

The brief from our client, Bacchus Wine Merchant, was to create an on-premise brand that was clearly from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.

With so many Marlborough Sauv Blancs out there, we set out to create an unique brand story that would become a talking point to help build brand recognition and on premise engagement.

Queen Charlotte Sounds is one of the main sounds within the Marlborough Sounds region. It was named after ‘Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz’, Queen to King George III. She was an amateur botanist and the “Bird of Paradise” flower was named after her – the latin name 'Strelitzia'. Charlotte is within the lush New Zealand forest. Adorned in a fern skirt and holding a ‘Bird of Paradise’ as she would her sceptre. Her crown is made from flowers, foliage and twigs. Her earrings, seed pods. Her bodice has been highlighted with gold foil for a tactile experience and to give the brand that extra NZ ‘edge’, we added volcanic and fern tattoos. With the success of the Sauv Blanc, soon after a Pinot Gris was added to the range. To create a small point-of-difference between the two wines, the background colour has been changed. Design Energy was also responsible for the brand naming.

After speaking with the client, Jo Newtown, owner of Bacchus Wines her words were – "Everyone LOVES, LOVES, LOVES this label. It has been taken on in many bars, restaurants and clubs nationally. Whoever we pitch it to, they take it mostly because of the label."