Gallo's Apothic Wines Offers Curated Holiday Website Experiences

Apothic Wines is using its online Apothicary destination to encourage millennial drinkers to consider the brand in the holiday season via a digital version of the traditional Advent calendar.

It’s part of a repositioning of Apothic’s brand portfolio, from one associated with dark labels and names like House Of The Dragon to a wider range of usage occasions beyond events like Halloween.

“They want to shed the sort of gothic appeal that has gotten attached to them and be more of an unexpected brand,” Darick Maasen, creative director at Apothic Wines agency Blue Chip, tells Marketing Daily.

The latest addition to The Apothicary website is 12 Nights of December - a curated experience featuring 12 numbered doors that, when clicked on, reveal discounts, instructions for creating do-it-yourself ornaments, merchandise and recipes, among other offerings.

"We know that this millennial target really likes to zig when everybody else zags,” says Darick.

Other 12 Nights of December options include a card game called Would You Dare? and a Spotify music playlist of holiday tunes.

“So you’re bringing a bottle of wine but you’re also bringing a playlist that fits the feeling of a particular event,” says Darick.

The campaign is being promoted on social media platforms and in-store digital activations involving QR codes on displays that provide access to The Apothicary when scanned.

“We want the Apothicary to be a place that people who love the brand know they can go on a regular basis, and find new and unexpected experiences there,” adds Darick.

Apothic Wines is owned by E. & J. Gallo Winery.