Stormhoek: Moneyball Marketing

A 30 second marketing video for Stormhoek, a South African wine which is being introduced in the United States:



Hugh MacLeod, the man running the marketing campaign for Stormhoek, explains some of his marketing strategy here.

I love this video. Why? In no particular order:

• 10 seconds in, my reaction was "What is this? I don't know, but I like it."
• The flag is flapping. It's fabulous they could get that. It creates a subtle context: Americans love South African wine. What kind of Americans? The kind who fly American flags. Also, a tiny, tiny detail to remember for later: the flag indicates the wind is at the skateboarder's back.
• The dog adjusts track in concert with the skateboarder. Context: All of us - the actors in this video and people watching this video - are working together: we are a team promoting Stormhoek.
• The video communicates effortless momentum. The dog is running easy. Wind at the back. Skating like water running downhill. Easy. Natural. Effortless. Momentum. Stormhoek is up and running in America, with momentum. The music, a key component, is perfect for communicating momentum. Whoever chose the 30 seconds of music earned their money.
• The video communicates the marketing message: "we're into the same things you're into". What is that? Having fun! Easily. Effortlessly. Naturally. Without pretense. In harmony with our (dog) friends whom we love. Drinking Stormhoek is fun and easy and natural. Drinking Stormhoek fits into being fulfilled in ways which are truly important, i.e: true experience of life, of nature, of loving, of finding one's place in the world. It's all there in the video. Watch it again. It's in there.
• Was this video done early in the morning? If so, this was likely for proper lighting, yet it represents another tiny metaphor.
• Final thing I like: dog not wearing bandanna.

Several of the above items are maybe or probably unplanned, unintended, and mere fortunate happenstance. Still, the "we're into the same things you're into" Alpine, TX viral internet marketing is brilliant, and it's danged sure cost effective - like winning a World Series with low priced youngsters instead of high priced free agents. Moneyball marketing.