Of Coke, Hendricks Gin, Wine and Happiness

You may like Coke or hate it. You may believe its's a sugary confection concocted by the devil expressly for the corruption (and obesity and tooth decay) of young souls - or a brilliantly balanced, refreshing beverage that does not actually owe its global ubiquity to luck, memorable packaging and a big marketing budget. I actually drink and enjoy Coke on occasion, though not the diet versions because I really can't stand the metallic character of aspartame.

But personal opinions of the drink aside, there's no denying the brilliance of the way Coke is marketed. The message is clear: this is a fun drink that will make you and - and this is crucially important - the people around you happier. Just look at these two clips:

If neither of them make you smile and force you to offer a nod of respect to the cleverness of the Atlanta pop-maker, we're on different pages.

But then - yes, this still is a place to find thinking about wine - ask yourself when was the last time you saw any marketing that was about wine being about fun and friendship. Which is a little strange really, when you think about the way most normal people drink it. Barefoot Wines in the US does this brilliantly, but it's an exception to the rule. 

Now take a peak at the Hendrick's gin website.

I'm giving a lot of thought about this at the moment because we are planning the overhaul of the le Grand Noir website which is currently downright dull. Our challenge: to give people who care about where the wine came from and how it was made, the (boring-to-most-normal-mortals) information they want, while conveying that the real reason to buy our delicious $10 wine is actually simply to have a better time with the people around you. 

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You may like wine or hate it. You may believe it's an alcoholic confection concocted by the devil expressly for the corruption (and liver disease and dependency and car crashes) of souls of all ages - or a brilliantly balanced, refreshing beverage that does not actually owe its global ubiquity to luck, hard-to-open packaging and tradition. I actually drink and enjoy wine rather frequently, though not the more extreme "natural" versions because I really can't stand the metallic character of brettanomyces..