Jacob's Creek Wine: "OPEN UP WITH ANDRE AGASSI" TV Commercial by CumminsRoss

Type of entry: Branded Entertainment
Category: Best use of brand sponsorship integration (where there is no product overtly displayed in the film, show, event etc. but it is aligned to a brand message)
Advertiser: PREMIUM WINE BRANDS - JACOB'S CREEK
Product/Service: JACOB'S CREEK WINE
Agency: CUMMINSROSS Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Advertiser PREMIUM WINE BRANDS - JACOB'S CREEK
Product JACOB'S CREEK WINE
Entrant CUMMINSROSS Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Type of Entry: Branded Entertainment
Category: Best use of brand sponsorship integration (where there is no product overtly displayed in the film, show, event etc. but it is aligned to a brand message)
Title: OPEN UP WITH ANDRE AGASSI
Advertiser/Client: PREMIUM WINE BRANDS - JACOB'S CREEK
Product/Service: JACOB'S CREEK WINE
Entrant Company: CUMMINSROSS Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
DM/Advertising Agency: CUMMINSROSS Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Editor: Che Mcnamara-Moyle (CumminsRoss)
Managing Director: Chris Jeffares (CumminsRoss)
Producer: David Ockenden (CumminsRoss)
Head Of Digital: Faye Collay (CumminsRoss)
Art Director: Jason Ross (CumminsRoss)
Business Affairs: Kirsty Muddle (CumminsRoss)
Producer: Nigel Camilleri (CumminsRoss)
Writer: Sean Cummins (CumminsRoss)
Director: Steve Callen (CumminsRoss)
Producer: Susannah George (CumminsRoss)
Colourist: Martin Greer (Digital Pictures)
Music Composer: Justin Pounsett (The Audio Embassy)
Describe the campaign/entry
In a media landscape that offers an ever-increasing choice of devices and methods to consume content, it remains a constant challenge for brands to participate in a meaningful way.
Within Australia, the majority of brands still fail to bridge this divide, using the less subtle tools of product placement, branded promos and blatant paid promotion.
These can be classified as branded content, but do little to make a meaningful contribution as entertainment.
To be valued as entertainment, brands must generate stronger and more valuable consumer connections. They need to have currency in conversation and culture. They should encourage shareability and importantly, they need to be of a quality to deserve (and demand) broadcast distribution.
In Australia, alcohol brands like Jacob's Creek are restricted from advertising prior to 20:30 timeslots for paid media. Furthermore, in some Asian markets the broadcast of advertising for alcohol brands is completely prohibited.

Results

Jacob’s Creek is Australia’s no. 1 wine, though key factors have restricted its profitable growth.
From a business perspective, they were unable to command a premium price position due to higher volume sales of their $5 lines versus their $10 - $12 range and creatively, 70% of people misunderstood their brand positioning of ‘True Character’.
Our objectives therefore centred on the premiumisation of the brand and bringing clarity to its creative positioning, and their Global Tennis sponsorship portfolio was the vehicle to drive these objectives. We focused our communication on demonstrating value, and not just the brand’s monetary value, but also the values it stands for, as both are intrinsically linked in the mind of the consumer.
Executed well, Jacob’s Creek’s premium wine would not only be included on the dining table as part of the consumers’ repertoire, but it would also redress the shift in its profitable growth. We needed to improve the perception of the brand’s value, not just generate awareness.
And whilst there was a misunderstanding of ‘True Character’, consumers understood the term related to someone that stays true to their beliefs, is honest and genuine. So we found an individual that embodied these values, a tennis superstar that struggled to find his True Character: Andre Agassi.
Jacob’s Creek ‘Open’ was the campaign. The word ‘Open’ itself embodied tennis, Australian Open, Open up a bottle and Open up to reveal your True Character.
We created the Open Film Series featuring Andre opening up, and Jacob’s Creek delivered them to the world. The films’ unprecedented quality and entertainment value saw major broadcasters acquire them for integration into their live telecast of the Australian Open.
Qantas also requested their broadcast on every domestic flight during the Open, and they were also distributed digitally and at the event.


Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

The audience was attracted to our content because it told a story they wanted to hear, and that the broadcasters wanted to tell.
The Open Film Series was promoted on Television via a 30-second trailer that ran on Channel 7 and ESPN. It also ran on Australia’s national airline, Qantas, on every domestic flight for 2 weeks.
The relationship with Andre Agassi created significant interest, as did movie-style posters and heavy activation at the Australian Open.
A digital campaign underpinned our activity, with Facebook providing an ongoing destination for the films.


Describe the results in as much detail as possible.

The Open Film Series was broadcast into 83m homes across Asia and Australia during the Australian Open.
A major success was the fact that as the films were being integrated within the live broadcast of the Australian Open, advertising restrictions didn’t apply.
In Australia, our films ran throughout the day, not just post 20:30, as well as running freely throughout Asia, including those countries that don’t allow alcohol advertising. Furthermore over 1.6m people saw them in-flight, 686,000 at the Australian Open, and the conversation exploded online.
In just 3 weeks, $4.2m of unpaid-media was generated, and, most importantly this directly translated into success for the brand.
After only 1 month Jacob’s Creek was already enjoying a 17% YOY sales increase, with 65% of this increase driven by its $10+ range.
Link testing confirmed that 70% of consumers now understand True Character, and there was a 59% increase in advocacy for the brand. Facebook fans were also up 70% to 52,000.
It was the first time in 5 years that a brand, other than the Australian Open’s major sponsor Kia, was recognised as the major sponsor.
Jacob’s Creek truly won the Australian Open.