United Republic of Wine

Creative Agency: Dossier Creative
Client: Hidden Path Wine Group
Location: Canada
Project Type: Commercial Work

Creating an independent wine with a California state of mind.

We’ve always had a passion for wine, so when a small startup called Hidden Path Wine Group approached us for help re-imagining what was possible in the world of California wines, we were excited to get onboard.

They wanted to create a wine brand that would exemplify the wonderful possibilities inherent in California wine country and capture the spirit of the region while at the same time appealing to the Canadian palate. The result was dark in colour, with rich, ripe fruit flavours, seductive cocoa notes, soft tannins and elegant vanilla notes – a smooth and delicious addition to the world of wine.

For the brand creation, we focused on conveying the emotional quality that sets California apart: the sense of freedom and independence central to the state’s character. Our research uncovered that its first flag, raised to declare the area’s independence from Mexico, had the words ‘California Republic’ on it. We took that as our inspiration for the name ‘United Republic of Wine’ and the theme of independent spirit continued throughout the website, sales material and social media.

Republic launched in 70+ BC liquor stores in October 2013 with strong interest, fantastic feedback, and distribution to almost all BC liquor stores by Christmas. Soon after, it also received a warm welcome in Alberta, with more provinces to come. It’s no small feat for a startup of this size to gain acceptance into the competitive liquor distribution system in Canada, but Republic wooed wine lovers amidst a proliferation of choice. Within just one month, Republic was featured in the BC Liquor Board’s Savvy Shopper monthly promotions, and future plans include several TV appearances – some impressive wins for a brand new wine.