(TDB) - The wine industry is “peculiar, fragmented, confusing and impenetrable”, has done little to further its growth and lacks innovation, according to one of the UK’s foremost figures in advertising.

That is what Sir John Hegarty, the man behind iconic adverts including Johnnie Walker’s “keep walking” campaign and Levi 501’s famed laundrette advert, told delegates at the Wine and Spirit Trade Association’s (WSTA) annual conference yesterday.

Hegarty, whose career in the advertising industry spans six decades, was knighted in 2007 for his services to the industry and holds a close association to the wine industry as the owner of a vineyard in the Languedoc where he produces his Hegarty Chamans wine.

Despite his investment in wine, he admits he has never come across an industry “so appalling” as the wine industry in that it has “no brand leaders” driving the market place and is constantly battling against the fact that 90% of its consumers do not understand quality.

Speaking at the conference yesterday he said: “Most people think paying anything more than £6 a bottle is mad. Most of the industry think anything under £6 is shit. So that’s what we are selling. Shit.”

His answer? “Lose the mystery, keep the magic”.

“The trouble with our industry is that to the average consumer it’s a complete mystery”, he said.

According to Sir John the industry needs to simplify its message, putting the user at the centre of the market, and start talking about people as “audiences” rather than “consumers”.

He said: “That’s an important move because it implies a consumer is waiting to be sold something. Those days are over. People are not sat waiting to be sold something as they were 30 to 40 years ago. It implies respect. It’s an important change. It says this person is going to respond and we have to engage and entertain them because that’s what audiences want. We must move from referring to people as consumers and talk about them as audiences.”

Sir John also said the “middle” is falling out of the market and that any producer sat in the middle is “dead” as it has no future, adding that there is now only “value” and “luxury” positioning.