A boutique winery in Canberra, Contentious Character makes cool climate wines in the natural home of great Australian debate. We helped make the brand a talking point.

Wines made in Canberra are anything but boring. With their old world elegance, and new world flavour, they bring out the best of both worlds. With the name ‘Contentious Character’ in place, yet not ready to make a leap into experimental varietals, the makers wanted to use the brand to convey the attitude, while appealing to a younger demographic.

Working with Born & Raised, we met the founders to get to the heart of what they were trying to achieve, before presenting a range of positioning options.

To reflect the name, and the idea of Canberra being a place of lively debate, we took a conversational, copy-led approach to branding. The attitude is best captured in the tagline we created: ‘Raise a glass, and ruffle some feathers.’

On packaging, hero statements share a point of view that connects to the varietal, while on the website, the characters of the wine, and team, come to life, inviting visitors to the cellar door and restaurant.

Cheers.

Finalist – small brand identity, Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards, 2018