Erich & Kallman Addresses the Elephant in the Room with Cupcake Vineyards’ “Unserious” Name

When it comes to luxury wine, Cupcake Vineyards is serious. When it comes to their name, some consumers might just think otherwise. 

Which is why Erich & Kallman – the independent, award-winning agency recently appointed to oversee Cupcake and Franzia Wine’s creative – used their first campaign to humorously address the elephant in the room. Employing their signature wit, a series of three vignettes perfectly encapsulates Cupcake’s new tagline: “Serious wine. Unserious name.”

A Clever Juxtaposition 

Each vignette features a suave, charismatic wine expert strolling through Cupcake’s lush vineyards, loftily describing its award-winning craftsmanship to triumphant music. And each time, an eavesdropper confused by the name “Cupcake” stops him in his tracks. In the spot “Really?,” for example, the record-scratch moment comes from a surprised vineyard worker who asks, “Sorry, what’d you say the wine is called?” Holding up the bottle, our expert awkwardly replies, “Cupcake, Cupcake Vineyards.” The worker doesn’t stop there. “They seriously call it Cupcake? Really? That’s got to be the silliest name for a wi—” Before he can finish, we cut to a glorious panoramic shot of the vineyard, our expert proudly touting the product.

“The name gave us so much to play with and we loved that the Cupcake team was game,” said Eric Kallman, founder and chief creative officer, Erich & Kallman. “Our campaign made self-deprecation a superpower, while driving the point that Cupcake’s quality is extremely serious, made from the highest quality grapes from the best wine regions worldwide.”

Three-part rollout 

The campaign includes two additional vignettes entitled “Horse” and “Name.” All three just went live via digital video, connected TV, and social media. They were directed by Andrew Laurich and produced by Contagious LA.

“Keeping in line with our promise of sparking joy, Erich & Kallman created a fun, light-hearted, tone, while demonstrating Cupcake’s award-winning craftsmanship and quality,” said The Wine Group CMO Helen Kurz. “These vignettes strike just the right balance of levity and seriousness. We love the new tagline and the campaign and we’re excited for what’s next.”