Treasury Wine Estates has announced it is extending its 19 Crimes partnership with entertainment icon Snoop Dogg.

The new agreement allows TWE to bring the Snoop 19 Crimes collaboration to people globally, and sit alongside the existing Cali range with new product developments to all international territories.

Snoop said: “I knew when I was linking up with one of the most successful brands in the market, we were going to make a splash. I’ve been a fan of 19 Crimes and what they stand for since the start and I can’t wait to bring what we’re doing to the entire world. That’s how I roll – go big or go home.”

John Wardley, Treasury Wine Estates Marketing President, Americas, added: “After our huge success in North America, we couldn’t be more thrilled to go fully global. We can finally share America’s most successful wine innovations over the past two years with the world. Snoop continues to embody the spirit of 19 Crimes – rule breaking, culture creating, and overcoming adversity and we are so pleased to continue to partner with this icon.”

In addition to the existing SKUS, 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red and Rosé, the new agreement also covers multiple new
product launches and initiatives that TWE said “will be revealed in due time”.

TWE reveals its ambitious US plans

TWE CEO Tim Ford told the American Chamber of Commerce earlier this month how TWE plans to stand out in the crowded US marketplace.

“Well, there’s the power of a certain celebrity called Snoop Dogg that helps,” he said.

He described the launch of Snoop Dogg’s 19 Crimes Cali Red last year as a “significant success” for TWE – it became the number one wine innovation for 2020 and the number 15 brand in the US wine market in a short period of time.

A brand extension, Cali Rosé, launched earlier this year and has, according to Ford, “outperformed expectations”, including being named the number one wine innovation for 2021.

“Understanding your market is one thing, but you also need to have the confidence to take measured risks – for us, that’s rethinking the wine space and pushing the boundaries to connect with new audiences,” he said.

Ford said 19 Crimes was the perfect example of how TWE had reinvigorated a wine brand to become an “international growth sensation”. The brand was first launched in 2011 and was initially an experiment to demystify the wine category and make wine more enjoyable for consumers, in particular younger consumers.

TWE was the first wine company to use Augmented Reality to bring labels to life in 2017. Its main channel for engagement continues to be through social media, where consumers can interact with 19 Crimes stories. Ford said 19 Crimes also brings TWE’s multi-region sourcing strategy to life, with grapes from California and Australia marketed globally.

“And of course, there’s the partnership with one of the most recognisable entertainment icons, Snoop Dogg, which catapulted 19 Crimes to worldwide fame,” Ford said.

“The launch of our Snoop partnership for Cali Red came at the right time and was a turning point in our relationship with US retail and distribution partners. During what was an extraordinary year, our courage in this idea and the fact we went ‘all in’ captured the imagination of our partners. As a result, we quickly gained distribution and display space that was unprecedented for a new wine launch.”

19 Crimes was a cultural hit, exceeding TWE’s initial 12-month sales forecast in the first two months of launch and becoming the most successful wine launch of 2020. Ford said the partnership had inspired our consumers to think differently about wine (and also gave him “a bit of street cred at home with my kids with my new friend Snoop Dogg”).

Cali Red didn’t just sell bottles, it brought thousands of new US consumers into wine – 17% of consumers were new to the wine category and 77% of consumers were new to 19 Crimes.