Best Trade Campaign 2007

Bibendum Wine – Road Trip

Trade tastings rarely have you salivating in anticipation, but with the promise of bacon sandwiches, Illy coffee, Valrhona chocolate, leaping dragons and guided tours, not forgetting live music, the Bibendum Road Trip was much more than your average drinks industry event.

Organised as though visitors were embarking on a vinous adventure, the invitation, marketing, booklet and, finally, layout at The Royal Academy of Arts, with its novel signage, enticed tasters into different themed rooms. The vast range of wines on offer was made manageable by guided tours with titles such as Backpacker, Boutique and Extreme.  “It made one want to be there,” one judge commented when discussing the campaign.

Vitally, the tasting delivered on its aim of creating the most talked about trade wine tasting of the year, while demonstrating Bibendum’s enthusiasm and flair as well as the extent of its portfolio. The budget was £80,000 and the Bibendum “Road Trip” attracted 1,700 customers and press in a single day – an incredible feat considering the event coincided with travel chaos following a heavy overnight snowfall in London. 

The judges praised Bibendum’s attention to detail; consistency in message; clearly defined objectives; professional approach, yet personal touch; and most of all, its innovative take on a trade tasting.

This one-day event has set an impressive precedent for trade tastings of the future.