Historically, the wine business has been resistant to change, but Magnotta Winery is hoping to get younger, sustainability-minded folks on board with a new format: fully recyclable paper bottle packaging.
The winery is rolling out its Ugly Duck brand this month to its 14 retail locations, its online store and to the LCBO. Its latest innovation is a collaboration with Cambridge company Kinsbrae Packaging, which has developed what it claims is a first-of-its-kind paper bottle making machine.
Magnotta senior marketing manager Kimara Oram tells strategy that its packaging partner made the news earlier this year when it developed paper bottle packaging for gin with the challenger brand, Georgian Bay. The packaging is lightweight and unbreakable, giving it less of a transportation footprint.
Magnotta says Ugly Duck bottles are easily recycled in a bin for paper when pulled apart. Its carbon footprint is also up to 84% lower than glass and uses 77% less plastic than recycled plastic bottles.
Oram adds that for its design, the brand wanted to “lean into something a little more abstract” that is “quirky, but fun and eye-catching,” and that could capture people’s attention from a distance.
“We have a very talented in-house designer…who does a lot of our imagery, whether it’s POS, packaging imagery,” Oram notes.
The positioning is about “embracing your inner duck,” with the idea for the brand name courtesy of Magnotta CEO Rosanna Magnotta. The brand messaging is equally playful and tongue-in-cheek.
The price point is accessible Oram says, as Magnotta wanted to make sure it brought something to the market that is casual and relaxed, in addition to being environmentally-friendly.
Later this year, the company is also launching a value-add neck tag, with each bottle coming with a mini rubber ducky.
“It’s all about embracing our inner duck and what makes us unique,” Oram says. “Consumers look for added value… and when they purchase products at the LCBO, a lot of it is driven by an incentive to purchase, whether it’s an LTO or a value add.”
Oram explains that rubber ducks are captivating, whether it was the world’s largest rubber duck which made waves along Toronto’s waterfront a few years back, or the phenomenon of “being ducked,” in which Jeep drivers leave the toys as a token of their appreciation for fellow brand enthusiasts.
A digital campaign is coming as well, with quirkiness top of mind. The brand is also running a full-page Food & Drink advertisement. In the fall, Magnotta will unveil some OOH and taxi tops in downtown Toronto.
“We may even throw in a radio spot or two,” Oram says, adding that it may also put on an event activation. “We’re looking to stand out and lead the charge.”
Agency partners on the campaign include Skylar Media, its digital AOR, with Elevator handling PR duties.
