LONDON — Chapel Down, England’s largest winemaker, has appointed W Communications as its PR and social media agency after a competitive pitch.

The agency has been tasked with increasing the brand’s share of voice, with a PR and social programme that will complement Chapel Down’s soon-to-be-revealed creative strategy and full marketing agency roster. W's brief also includes refreshing the brand’s owned channels.

The account will be led by drinks specialists in W's culture division, supported by W Studio, its internal creative function. 

Sunny Side Up, which recently won Spanish rioja brand Cune, was the incumbent agency. 

Chapel Down has vineyards across Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Essex. In 2019 the company began planting what is set to become England’s largest single vineyard: a 338-acre site in Kent, which will take vineyard area to almost 1,000 acres, more than any other English producer.

Chapel Down CCO Mark Harvey said: “We’ve sustained strong momentum over these last 12 months and we’ve hugely exciting growth plans in place for the years ahead. The opportunity for Chapel Down is significant. Mission critical now is turbo charging the awareness of our brand and scaling up the size of the congregation.

"W stood out for its mix of consumer and industry expertise, offering a perfectly equipped team to support us in delivering cultural collaborations and maintaining brand relevance throughout our growth.”

W chief executive Rachel Friend added: “Chapel Down joins a strong stable of drinks clients at W, at a time when brands have an opportunity to reset their identities to attract a new breed of consumers. It is a brilliant addition to our leading drinks offering and we are thrilled to be helping the brand navigate a new media landscape, with new opportunities.”

The Chapel Down win expands W’s drinks portfolio which also includes Camden Town Brewery, Disaronno and Champagne Laurent-Perrier.

The agency recently announced a new office in New York and its expansion into Scotland. Headquartered in London, W also has offices in Newcastle, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Amsterdam.