• by Larissa Faw , June 23, 2014

Kendall-Jackson (K-J) Wines believes that wine goes well with friends, so the winery and AOR Heat are launching a summer’s campaign to encourage folks to get outside, grab a bottle of K-J wine, and enjoy their friends.

And to play spin-the-bottle. 

On Sunday, June 22, more than 15,000 guests attending the Alice's Summerthing concert in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park were invited to play spin-the-bottle via a large-sized wine bottle. "Kendall-Jackson has always been smart about the cultural and musical events they participate in; The spin-the-bottle game is just a fresh way of getting people involved with the brand in a fun and surprising way," says Jeff Guenther, creative director at Heat. "Sadly, 10-foot tall bottles of wine are few and far between, so we had to have one fabricated.”

This huge replica of a wine bottle was attached to a “Price is Right”-style moving wheel that awarded VIP backstage passes to the concert through a partnership with the SF Parks Alliance. Concert guests were also able to buy K-J wines at booths around the concert area. 

"One of the things that excited us about the spin-the-bottle idea is that it is culturally relevant across multiple generations," says John Maxwell, vice president of marketing, Kendall-Jackson Wines. "An ongoing objective for the brand is to engage consumers and build relevancy with a younger wine consumer who will become our core consumer for years to come. This activation is a way for us to connect with younger wine consumers, but still be relevant to long-standing fans that have been familiar with the brand for many years."

This on-site brand activation was particularly aimed at attracting a younger demographic to the brand. "Like every other smart brand, K-J has millennials on their radar," says Guenther. "But, we weren’t looking to reach a target with K-J messaging so much as we were looking to have the brand hang out at concert with people enjoying some great music, and hopefully add a little more enjoyment to their day."

This kissing game experience will be used at numerous events throughout the summer and supports Kendall-Jackson's nationwide campaign -- under the theme “Friendships grow nicely in the sun" -- which also includes point-of-sale displays and online banners.

"The family business is rooted in the power of the outdoors and the Jackson family’s sustainability commitment is evident through our natural connection to the land," says Maxwell. "Whether that’s supporting a local park concert or working the land as avid farmers, which is at the heart of Kendall-Jackson and the family." 

"We are always looking for new, unique ways to break through to consumers. While having a presence at an outdoor concert event is not new for Kendall-Jackson," says Maxwell. "The emphasis on customer engagement, like the spin-the-bottle element is a new focus we are continuing to explore."