Bountiful Cow teams with Guardian UK for California Wine campaign

UK agency Bountiful Cow has led the audience strategy, creative and media approach for the California Wine Institute’s first brand campaign in the UK, delivered through a paid partnership with Guardian Media Group.

The campaign runs across Guardian content and display environments spanning food, drink and travel, including Feast magazine. It aims to connect British consumers with California’s relaxed lifestyle during the winter months, when interest in escapism and lifestyle inspiration typically increases.

Agency-led strategy challenges category timing

Bountiful Cow developed the UK audience strategy and worked with Guardian Labs on creative and media execution. The approach departs from category norms by running through winter, a period when many wine brands reduce activity, and instead positions the New Year as a moment when audiences are more open to exploring tastes, travel and cultural ideas.

The media plan is structured in two phases. The first runs until the end of February and centres on a Guardian Labs content series designed to build cultural relevance and shift perceptions of California. This phase is supported by audio advertising across the Guardian podcast network, alongside wider podcast activity including host-read placements on Alan Carr’s Bottoms Up wine tasting series.

Scaling reach and connecting to purchase

The second phase, running in March and April, expands reach through YouTube content and in-store activation, linking lifestyle inspiration more directly to purchase.

Adam Foley, CEO, Bountiful Cow: “This campaign deliberately avoids the category playbook to deliver relative advantage and cut through in both the creative and media execution. Instead of starting with wine, it starts with mindset. By using California’s cultural equity as the entry point, we can build desire, relevance and permission before driving consideration and purchase.”

The campaign positions California as a cultural state of mind rather than focusing on specific products or varietals, an approach intended to stand out in a category that often prioritises functional messaging.

Honore Comfort, Vice President of International Marketing at California Wine Institute: “We want to make California wines feel more culturally relevant and approachable for UK wine drinkers. To help boost consideration we are leaning into California as a lifestyle and a state of mind – warm, optimistic and relaxed. This can create a more distinctive and emotionally engaging position in a category that tends to be product and varietal led.”

www.bountifulcow.com

www.theguardian.com

www.wineinstitute.org

Follow Marketing Report on LinkedIn