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NBA star James Harden pokes fun at wine snobs

18 October 2023 By James Evison

The latest advertising campaign by NBA star James Harden for his wine brand has poked fun at the industry’s snobbish behaviour.

Called “Work Hard, Play Harden”, the campaign features videos on decanting and also ‘the swish’, which were put together by creative agency Majority.

The adverts feature Harden challenging the conventions of the trade, such as decanting of wine, with the aim to create a message of inclusivity and fun, and in contrast to the traditional perception of wine and its language, which are negative in some communities.

After a voiceover to classical music poetically explains decanting, Harden interrupts to say: ‘Look, just pour this thing, into this thing, into this thing’.

Harden said: “As a Black-owned business owner, I want to make wine more available to all communities. I want people to know they can enjoy some of the finer things in life and do it at an affordable price.”

The wine brand is a collaboration between the Philadelphia 76ers star and Accolade wines, with Harden working with the producer to ensure that his love of fashion, art, style and, of course, wine, are represented.

The move follows Harden selling his wines into China, following distribution in the Americas, Japan, Philippines and Malaysia. The move into China was wildly successful with Harden selling out 10,000 bottles of his wine in just 10 seconds during a livestream with Chinese influencer Xiao Yang.

Harden originally teamed up with Accolade Wines to release the signature J-Harden collection last summer as an equity partnership and collaboration with Accolade Wines’ Jam Shed brand, launching with a California Cabernet Sauvignon and a California Red Blend.

CMO of agency Majority, Jorge Hernandez, said: “Our sweet spot as an agency is at the intersection of sports, music, fashion and culture, where conventions are being defied. J-Harden Wines is a brand born at that intersection.”

Accolade marketing director of the Americas, Ming Alterman, said: “James has brought an elevated energy and enthusiasm to the wine industry through the launch of J-Harden Wines and its success over the last year.

“We’ve accomplished so much together in a short period of time, and the response from his fans and our consumers has been incredible. This campaign is part of our commitment to increasing awareness of J-Harden Wines and making them more accessible in the United States and internationally.”

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