A carnival for the senses

‘No brand lives forever,’ Spar’s group liquor manager, Mark Robinson, insists. ‘Acknowledge when it’s day is done and reinvent it.’

He approached Tertia when sales of circus-themed Carnival tanked. ‘The look was tired and old. We needed modern, aspirational and sexy, incorporating for the first time our Olive Brook brand, a big seller in glass.’

Client expectations forced Tertia to push her own boundaries. Designed to fool the eye from afar, the embossed metallic-gold-printed, UV varnished logo gives the impression of expensive gold foiling, she explains. ‘By depicting a wineglass as a focal point to denote celebration, with twirling grapes as party elements, a cleaner, sleeker “Carnival” atmosphere was created.’

The packs were phased in gradually, after which advertising boosted sales by 40%, restoring the brand’s glory days before it ran out of shelf steam. Sales have continued to rise, says Mark.

The boxes, supplied by Shave & Gibson, are filled at Orange River Cellars. ‘We consistently achieve 85% to 90% efficiency on lines running Olive Brook compared to the standard 70%,’ operations manager Klippies Botes reveals. ‘We’re currently changing all our packs over to Olive Brook standards.

‘We ended the first quarter of the 2020/21 financial year up 225 000 litres or 24% on the brand.’ 

Tertia is also the left brain behind Fynbos wine-in-box range, produced by The Grape Grinder, co-founded by husband Johan (PPM Festive 2017).

The wine was exported to Norway and, locally, is now exclusive to Checkers. ‘I lost myself in fynbos research, drew each flower on a large scale before combining the images for a three-litre slimline BiB,’ Tertia enthuses. Available in chenin blanc and merlot, launched over Easter, Fynbos will add rosé in October. 

For a small operation, sales are fantastic, says Johan, having increased three-fold from February to March. ‘We’re hoping the look will encourage first-time buyers and its quality will keep them coming back.’

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