CTZN wines celebrate Sainsbury’s listing

Australian Vintage’s AI-curated wine brand CTZN has secured a listing with UK retailer Sainsbury’s with additional in-store activations.

The Australian brand combines traditional winemaking with an interactive element to create an ‘AI-curated and human-crafted’ range of wines. CTZN (‘citizen’) uses state-of-the-art AI, specifically Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs), to analyse vast amounts of data from climate conditions and soil chemistry to market trends and consumer preferences. The technology allows the brand to understand each element affecting the wines, enabling precise adjustments to each blend.

The new listing covers CTZN’s three SKUs – Red Blend 01 Quintessence, Red Blend 02 Ethereal Pulse and White Blend 01 Luminous Drift – nationwide at Sainsbury’s.

The brand’s launch in mid-October has included in-store activations from 30 October running to 19 November, including aisle fins in 382 stores, digital six sheets in 30 stores, a free standing display unit (FSDU) with a hologram, and lenticular shippers in 210 stores.

Tim Rosewell, senior trade marketing manager of CTZN, commented: “We got to have a lot of fun with the launch. The brand and key visuals allowed us to think bigger, better, and more disruptive. We used a hologram on the talking FSDU and lenticulars on the shippers to help deliver the brand story and maximum disruption to shoppers.”

In addition, store samplings of the brands Red Blend 01 and White Blend 01 were made available in 35 Sainsbury’s stores, with 1,000 people trying out the new products. Consumers commented that the brand was “a great gimmick,” with “quite a lot of men asking questions about the AI and reading the bottle with interest.” The sample survey also found that “young adults liked the AI more than the older customers”.

In the sampling, Red Blend 01 – made with a blend of 46% Shiraz, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot – was described by consumers as ‘rich and fruity’, with “many customers enjoying the red wine’s unique flavour”. According to the brand, customers who don’t usually drink red wine found the red blend enjoyable.

Commenting on the White Blend 01, “customers have praised the white wine for its crisp, refreshing taste, with many describing it as the perfect light option”. The white wine blends 52% Pinot Grigio, 23% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Riesling and 9% ‘The Craft’.

Now available nationwide in the UK at Sainsbury’s, CTZN wines retail for £11 (US$14).

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