- Aesha Scott, Below Deck Mediterranean's chief stew, is now the face of Matua's new global "Start Something Fresh" campaign.
- The campaign was filmed entirely in New Zealand with an all-Kiwi cast and crew, pairing two homegrown names.
- Scott already kicked off the partnership on June 27 at Palm Tree Music Festival Hamptons, pouring Matua alongside sets from Kygo, The Chainsmokers, and Disco Lines.
Matua wants wine drinkers to say yes to more spontaneity, and it’s tapped a fellow adventurer to help. The New Zealand winery, owned by Treasury Wine Estates, named Aesha Scott its new global brand ambassador on July 8, fronting a campaign called “Start Something Fresh.”
Scott, a Tauranga-born reality star known for Below Deck and Below Deck Down Under, said partnering with a fellow Kiwi brand felt personal. The campaign was shot entirely in New Zealand with an all-local cast and crew, leaning into that shared heritage.
The rollout is already underway. Scott kicked things off June 27 at Palm Tree Music Festival Hamptons, pouring Matua Sauvignon Blanc, Lighter, and Coolers at the brand’s Sauvy Social Lounge alongside performances from Kygo, The Chainsmokers, and Disco Lines. Matua remains the Official White Wine Sponsor of Palm Tree events across Aspen, Miami, and the Hamptons.
This is a notable step for Matua, which has largely let its wine do the talking, with co-founder Bill Spence long serving as its own in-house ambassador. Scott arrives with an active endorsement slate that includes Kathmandu, Turo, and Smirnoff.
The deal follows a wider pattern of screen stars anchoring drinks campaigns this year, echoing Sophie Turner’s summer push for St. Germain and Robert Pattinson’s cinematic 1664 Blanc campaign. It also tracks with alcohol brands leaning into personality-driven marketing, as seen in Labatt USA’s ambassador deal with comedian Big Jay Oakerson.
Matua’s portfolio, including its Sauvignon Blanc, Lighter, Cooler, and new Bagnum format, is available nationwide via Instacart and DoorDash.
Takeaways
This is less a celebrity-slaps-name-on-bottle deal and more a heritage match. Matua built its identity on being “the original” New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and Scott built hers on being one of TV’s most recognizable Kiwis.
Putting the whole campaign together on home soil, with a local crew, signals Matua is protecting that authenticity rather than just renting a famous face.
This also fits a bigger trend: alcohol brands increasingly want ambassadors who feel like actual product fans, not just paid talent, and festival activations like Palm Tree give that relationship a live, ongoing stage instead of a one-off ad.
Does shooting entirely in New Zealand make the campaign feel more credible to wine drinkers, or does that detail mostly matter to industry insiders? Could festival tie-ins like the Sauvy Social Lounge become the new standard for how wine brands reach younger drinkers?
