Accolade Wines returns to the TFWA Exhibition in Cannes this year with a vibrant new look and strong sustainability credentials for its stand. Four key brands – Hardys, Jam Shed, B.Ink by Grant Burge and Wise Wolf – will be highlighted at the showpiece exhibition, accompanied by strong visuals.
There is a shift in focus from predominantly premium wines this year to the core portfolio which has been very successful for Accolade in the airlines, ferries and cruise channels.
A prime example of this is B.Ink by Grant Burge, which retails for under £10 in travel retail. It will feature on the stand alongside a colourful brand slogan ‘Make your mark’. Ink by Grant Burge is now one of Accolade’s key innovation brands with its eye-catching label and comes in three types: Red Blend, Chardonnay and Rosé.
Also attractively priced for global travel retail and with strong visuals on the Cannes stand is Jam Shed, with five expressions highlighted: Tempranillo, Shiraz, Malbec, Rose, Chardonnay and Sparkling Rosé. Jam Shed currently stands in the top 50 fastest-growing alcohol brands in the UK (Grocer Biggest Brands Report 2023).
Wise Wolf also features, a French wine (expressions: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Rosé) that comes in a 100% post-consumer recycled glass bottle. With strong sustainability credentials, Wise Wolf has been well received by consumers to date.
The product line-up on the stand is completed by Hardys, the UK’s number one wine brand which celebrates its 170th anniversary this year. The full Hardys range from everyday favourites such as Crest to the global travel retail exclusive high-end wine, The Eight, will be on show.
An extremely rare proposition (just eight barrels produced), Hardys ‘The Eight’ was made from the finest quality fruit from three of Australia’s most prestigious winemaking regions: Frankland River, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra.
The Accolade Wines stand for Cannes is being designed and built by doplr, a specialist Bluedog Group agency. This commission follows on from Accolade’s already very successful partnership with Kounter, also a Bluedog company, for its activation materials in travel retail.
Sustainability is at the forefront in the creation of the low carbon footprint stand, which uses re-usable aluminium frame sourced from beMatrix and timber. It will be stored for adaptation and use in future years.
beMatrix offers a sustainable alternative to traditional stand building materials with a lightweight aluminium frame system. Since assembly is modular, the frames are versatile and can be reused hundreds of times.
The Accolade stand will also feature a bar as a focal point, with themed tasting days planned throughout Cannes week. These include a rosé day (Monday), a B.Ink by Grant Burge/Jam Shed day (Tuesday) and a Hardys day (Wednesday), while all wines will be available to try at the bar on Thursday.
All TFWA delegates are welcome to visit and try out wines, with the bar open between 4.30pm and 6.30pm each day (Monday-Thursday).
Key travel retail personnel from the Accolade Wines team will be available to discuss products on the stand throughout the week including Channel Sales Director EMEA Jeff Bond, International Sales Manager – Distributors & GTR Alexandra Wilding, International Key Account Manager- GTR & Distributors Paul Campbell, and General Manager/Sales Director Martin Mackinnon.
Looking ahead to what visitors to the Accolade stand can expect, Jeff Bond said: “We are taking a new approach with the wines we are presenting this year, with a more vibrant and playful feel to the look of the stand.
“We have focused on our premium portfolio for the last few years, which was the right decision at the time. But this year, with an eye on our strategy in travel retail, we felt that representing this particular portfolio at TFWA Cannes better reflects where we are strong in the channel and where we believe the most growth will come from in the near future.
“This is why we will hero Hardys, Jam Shed and our new innovation B.Ink by Grant Burge, as these are becoming ever more popular domestically and are generally at great price points for GTR.
“Premiumisation remains a key theme for us in the airport channel, but there is also great potential in airports for the lower price point lines that have been successful for us in our ferries, airlines and cruise business. Our listings and activations for 2023/24 will be focused here.”
He concluded: “We are very excited about the look of our stand, the sustainability credentials that come with it and confident in the great wines we have to present this year. TFWA Cannes promises to be a great and memorable event as the industry comes back bigger and better after the challenging years we have all come through.”
For more information please contact Ben Holland, Essential Communications. Email: Ben@essencompr.com
