I chose Phantom Chardonnay to review based exclusively on its package design. I wouldn’t say it’s outstanding but it is interesting and unique. The gnarly old vines knocked out of the misty cloud of gold ink on the dark green bottle is effective. The vines are a bit creepy which plays well with the name Phantom. Including the scratchy hand-rendered typeface. The Phantom Chardonnay lettering is rendered in a shinier metallic gold.
Turn to the back and discover the Phantom story. “We call it the Phantom—a ghostly figure that wanders the Bogle cellars at night. Fleeting glimpses of muddy work boots and blue jeans—then gone. Does the Phantom really exist? Yes. Has it inspired us: Absolutely.” Great. True or not it creates a good brand story. Add in some enticing tasting notes and we’re done. Well done. We’re not done? Not even close.
Below the notes and completely unexpected are icons and instructions to download the brand’s dedicated augmented reality app. We’ve previously reviewed wines from 19 Crimes and Rabble that include AR experiences. I think Phantom surpasses both of them in the volume of content you can access through their app. Scan the label, solve the puzzle and discover four different avenues of interactive content to access. The video above reveals the lantern. It took me a few tries to figure out how to light it. There is also a key. Activate it and unlock the fault to find a series of videos. There’s more content accessed by scanning the back panel. I still don’t think I’ve found it all.
Phantom is a fine example of California Chardonnay fermented in French oak. As stated in the tasting notes it’s flavours are of golden apple and pear with a hint of spicy caramel. It’s premium priced but still a good value.
I still have the same question about AR content. How many people download a specific app to access it? What’s the return on investment?
