Sparrow & Barrow by Creative Platform

A.G. Oatley Wines approached us to create a distinctive new brand and packaging for a premium wine range from New Zealand’s renowned Marlborough region. The brief called for a brand that felt authentic to place, grounded in nature, and reflective of the quiet intelligence found in agricultural life. With subtle and thoughtful nods to the New Zealand landscape, Sparrow & Barrow was developed to capture the character, rhythm and resourcefulness of life on the land. The brand draws inspiration from the small, often overlooked moments that define farming culture the daily interactions between animals, tools, weather and people that together shape the environment and influence the final product. Native New Zealand birds are known for being cheeky, curious and remarkably smart, constantly learning from their surroundings and adapting to take advantage of the agricultural process. They observe, respond and evolve with instinctive precision. This behaviour became a central metaphor for the brand. Where there’s a barrow, there’s a sparrow — a simple rural truth that speaks to awareness, opportunity and shared space. That same mindset of learning from our environment, respecting the land, and responding intelligently to what it offers is the kind of thinking that has guided every decision behind this Marlborough wine, from vineyard to bottle, making it just that little bit better. It is a story of observation, humility and craft, expressed through considered design and packaging that feels honest, confident and quietly expressive.