Mizzou Vintage
Branding a Line of Sporty Yet Sophisticated Wines
Les Bourgeois is the Official Winery of Mizzou Athletics, and we created a university-compliant brand for its line of sporty yet sophisticated wines.
This was the most successful product launch in winery history.
The brand encourages sports fanatics and professional tailgaters alike to visit the winery during game-day weekends, and the readily-available retail bottles make it perfectly acceptable to tailgate with a nice cool glass of black and gold red or white.
When Les Bourgeois Vineyards became the Official Winery of Mizzou Athletics, the first item on its preseason to-do list was to launch a line of Mizzou-inspired wines. Les Bourgeois requested proposals from marketing agencies near and far, but our pitch won the local vineyard over. We were drafted as the agency behind the sub brand, and our team immediately got to work on our playbook.
There is no “I” in “Account Team”
Les Bourgeois and Mizzou Athletics were clear on one important contingency: all collateral had to comply with Mizzou Athletics brand guidelines, or it would not be viable. University compliance guidelines are notoriously extensive and complex, so our account team coordinated with Mizzou Athletics, Les Bourgeois, and our creatives without fault.
Pairs well with sports
This one-of-a-kind line needed a name, slogan, and campaign messaging that felt polished yet spirited, refined yet hardy. Our creatives brainstormed countless names, but just like in any good game, there was one clear winner: Mizzou Vintage. Once we solidified the name of the brand, we expanded the messaging to include clever one-liners and taglines.
“Working with Hoot Design Company was a dream come true for us. Their team focuses on building a strong relationship and working together to create and execute stellar ideas. Their ability to understand complex requirements and produce stunning results is impressive. The personal touch and attention to detail helped us launch an incredibly successful sub-brand and we look forward to working with Kristen and the wonderful team at Hoot again soon!”
Is there a Heisman for designers?
Designing a brand that combines Mizzou tigers with an elegant vineyard was a career-defining moment for our team. We held discovery meetings and made vision boards, which led to a fluid logo that seamlessly blends grapes and a Mizzou-esque tiger. The design proves that sporty and sophisticated don’t have to be mutually exclusive, and the Les Bourgeois team was such a big fan that the reveal evoked a tear or two.
We win BIG
After we created the brand personality, we started to spread the news about Mizzou Vintage. We designed custom illustrations that were used on truck and elevator wraps. It wasn’t easy to produce these full-scale advertisements that depict the winery experience (measurements for the intricate illustrations had to be exact, and vendors were sourced carefully), but the results were hall-of-fame worthy. Our work can be seen in elevators at the Mizzou football stadium and on trucks zooming across the state. These larger-than-life ads are a reminder of what the Hoot team can do — and how well Mizzou Vintage pairs with sports, of course.
We pair messaging and visuals to create brand identities that will stand the test of time.