Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/118688
Bandit is the ideal picnic wine: easy to afford, easy to transport, easy to drink. A mericans may be late to the Tetra Pak wine party, but purchasing and consuming wine from the Swedish-designed cartons, already a worldwide phenomenon, is gearing up to be the next big thing here in the States—especially in the active summer months. One brand has stepped up as the leader in this revolutionary category: Bandit. Launched ten years ago, Bandit was way ahead of the curve in the fast-growing Tetra Pak category. The appeal for retailers is clear: Bandit is already the top-selling one-liter brand in the market, and its 500-ml. SKUs are growing quickly too—up more than 22 percent. The brand's wildly popular Pinot Grigio, to take one example, is the number-three dollar volume SKU in the Tetra category—and growing at 40 percent. The appeal to consumers is that not only is Bandit's Tetra Pak convenient— it's recyclable. What's even more exciting is Bandit's contemporary new, brightly colored packaging, which will begin appearing on shelves in May. With its strong brand messaging, easily readable logo and user-friendly info printed on the Tetra Pak sides and backs, the Bandit redesign is an eye-grabber—whether customers see it on the shelf slider rack, the dedicated five-case or two-tier wire racks, the corrugated or cooler-style dump bins or the 500ml countertop and coldbox door displays. All Bandit displays are branded for strong impact and designed for easy-tograb functionality. Additionally, enhanced brand support in the form of shelf talkers, coldbox stickers and bottle neckers assure quick depletions. Bandit's tagline—Good to Go Wine—positions the brand as the one consumers will want to snag and take with them this summer for beach outings, picnics, camping in style or relaxing around the fire. New to Market: Bandit Red Blend Along with the new package launch in May, the new Bandit Red Blend will join the brand's current varietal line-up—Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Red Blend is made in a fruit-forward style that reveals just a touch of sweetness (2.0g/100ml residual sugar, still far below the level of a sweet red wine) that makes it ideal for warm-weather sipping—at ambient temperatures or slightly chilled. Red blends are one of today's hottest segments of the wine market, but there are currently no red blends available in the Tetra category, making Bandit's scene-stealing version a stand-outThe fruit-forward, smooth taste meets the demand for quaffable reds that don't overpower food. april 2013 / the tasting panel / 159