Let’s set the scene

Innocent Bystander was born with a healthy disregard for wine convention. Founded by a brewer-turned-wine-maker, the brand built its name on craft, curiosity, and a cheeky outsider’s perspective. But times (and the landscape) have changed. The craft positioning Innocent Bystander had once owned became crowded with newer, nimbler brands and mainstream players adopting a similar tone. The brand faced a critical challenge: how to grow brand salience while staying true to its origins? We needed to reawaken the brand’s DNA, recapture its edge, and establish a long-term creative platform that could expand its audience without losing the intrigue that made it a ‘discovery brand’ in the first place.

What was really going on

At first glance, Innocent Bystander (IB) was performing well… but the wine industry was battling broader headwinds. Consumption was moderating, younger consumers were switching to spirits and RTDs, and wine was fighting for relevance in a world where social credibility came from being ‘in the know’… not ‘what you know’. Our target audience wasn’t trading down—they were trading sideways, looking for brands that offered experience, curiosity, and credibility. 

To reignite interest, we needed to reframe wine discovery for a generation less interested in varietals and more interested in experiences worth sharing.

Welcome to the shadows

We set out to reclaim IB’s subversive insider status by reviving its most recognisable asset—the shadow. But this wasn’t about a character lurking in the darkness, instead, we repositioned the shadow as a symbol: an invitation to curiosity, an emblem of the unknown, a place between light and dark where discovery lives.

Our creative platform—Come Play in the Shadows—reframed the brand from being about wine expertise to experience expertise. It signalled a deliberate pivot away from vineyard clichés and pretentious tasting notes towards a world where the best things are hidden just out of plain sight—found not by following the crowd, but by making new discoveries.

Our visual language embraced high-contrast shadow play, with flash-lit photography that captured intrigue in every frame. The IB silhouette became a recurring motif, not as a literal figure but a metaphor for the unseen, the undiscovered, and the underappreciated.

The platform was activated across hero films, animated social content, and digital banners, with social storytelling inviting consumers to ‘get out of the spotlight and into the shadows,’ a rallying cry for those who wanted to discover the stories others missed.

We also laid the groundwork for future extensions—pop-up cellar doors, spiritual homes in key on-premise venues, and cultural partnerships that embedded the brand in the fabric of the ‘new wine’ landscape.

Come play… at Babylon

As the first physical expression of the ‘Come play in the Shadows’ platform, the Innocent Bystander pop-up at Babylon invited people into a space that felt anything but typical. Come Play at Babylon was designed to be immersive, unconventional, and community-led, the experience channelled the energy of craft spirits more than traditional wine. With shadowy silhouettes, interactive tasting moments, and a DJ spinning vinyl in the background, the activation brought a sense of intrigue and fun to the heart of the city. It was unpolished in the best way—un-wine, unpretentious, and utterly unforgettable. 

And then what happened?

The campaign reignited curiosity for Innocent Bystander, driving brand growth and reinforcing its distinct identity in a crowded category. Total brand sales grew +6.5% MAT, with standout performances from Pinot Gris (+11.6%), Tempranillo (+17.66%), and Rosé (+26.1%), all outpacing category trends. In Queensland, sales climbed +5% against plan, while brand love metrics remained strong, with 86% of customers agreeing that Innocent Bystander is a brand for them. Most importantly, the platform reasserted IB’s cultural relevance—transforming awareness from just a number into a symbol of curiosity and social credibility.