Fleur du Cap’s smart connection

This past Sunday, late night, the brand manager of Distell’s increasingly stylish Fleur du Cap range, Anabelle Poggenpoel, stood at the top of those endless stone stairs of the Baxter theatre and probably felt pretty chuffed. Down below, the foyer party was in full swing. A band was playing, waiters were carrying food around and – and this is the clinch – they were pouring and emptying Fleur du Cap wines by the bottle.

The occasion is one of those Cape rarities, but a long-established institution, the annual Fleur du Cap theatre awards event. If ever there is a gathering of the Cape cultural clan this is it, when everyone connected to that wide-ranging, yet delicate business of show and theatre gets together for the handing over of the annual prizes. It makes for a party bar none (Claire Berlein and Evita Bezuidenhout seem to be enjoying it well enough in the pic).

While this, the prime annual Cape theatre awards, has a history that stretches back more than 40 years (initially branded by one of the Rembrandt group’s cigarettes, but, much more cheerfully these days under the FdC banner), it is only in the past few years that Distell has seriously tapped in to weld the brand boldly with the theatre and showbiz crowd. And how clever is that.

These days, the event comprises a showy variety concert with some local ‘celebs’ (this year it turned out a little flat, hampered by talent and technical hiccups), followed by a foyer party (dreary food). But with the entire theatre world gathered you’re guaranteed a lively party. It went on and on.

It may be Distell’s culture-promotional arm that picks up the tab (and provides the very welcome prize money dished out to oh-so-grateful winners), but the wine for the feast is there brightly and boldly for all to see and indulge in (which thespians do from time to time to drown joy and sorrow): the fine Fleur du Cap range, catering for a variety of rainbow tastes.

The point, made before, is a simple psychological marketing truth: be good to me and I’ll remain loyal. The Fleur du Cap brand is by now so well linked with the Cape’s culture crowd, it will surprise no-one that FdC is probably the first bottle a young actor or an elderly director (both still pretty tight on income and buying to budget, given the state of the performing arts) would buy.

While the band played and the colourful crowd jolled, Poggenpoel could be pleased that at least a few souls will again turn to FdC for solace or celebration. 

– Melvyn Minnaar