Fugitive Organic set out to escape tradition: crafting premium organic Sauvignon Blanc in fully recyclable bag-in-box packaging. Patchwork shaped the launch with storytelling, collaborations, photography, website and digital strategy that redefined perceptions of BIB wine and built a movement around sustainable, premium drinking.
Fugitive Organic is the bespoke brand of winemaker Nadine Worley and viticulturist Logie MacKenzie, created with a bold ambition: to produce premium, organic Sauvignon Blanc in alternative packaging that’s better for our lifestyles and the planet.
The opportunity was clear: single-use glass bottles are the biggest contributor to wine’s carbon footprint, and bag-in-box (BIB) wine offers a 40% lower footprint. But the challenge was greater: in New Zealand, BIB conjured memories of cask wine...cheap, mass-produced, and low quality. To succeed at a premium price point, we needed to bring the quality of the wine and sense of place to the forefront, glamorising the choice of cardboard packaging over glass.
Patchwork recommended a storytelling-driven, immersive launch approach that could stretch a modest budget for maximum impact. We focused on social media, PR, earned media, digital ads, influencer partnerships, and collaborations. The brand needed beautiful content at its core, so we sourced models, wonderful photographers, and a stylist, and partnered with premium accommodation, food, and clothing brands for a collaborative shoot. These partners not only enriched the content but also shared it widely, amplifying reach.
To deepen engagement, we introduced an affiliate programme, inviting aligned creators and brands to join the “band of fugitives.” This positioned Fugitive as a movement as much as a wine, tapping into Zillennials’ desire to represent meaningful social change. For a generation that shops through discovery, lives on their phones, and rewards brands that stand for something bigger, Fugitive became more than a wine in a box - it became a story they wanted to share.
