Cellier magazine is looking to expand its readership with new branding and a mag redesign, eyeing the broader audience beyond wine connoisseurs.

A custom-content magazine published by the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), the government-owned body overseeing the trade of alcoholic beverages in Quebec, Cellier is designed and produced by TC Media. Lise-Paul Hus, group publisher and vice president of Consumer Solutions Montreal for TC Media, calls the new target audience "discoverers"—general consumers looking for more practical information on wines, spirits, and new store arrivals.


"The goal is to demystify wine and encourage a more relaxed attitude about it," Hus said. "The style is more contemporary bistro than three-star Michelin restaurant."

The redesigned logo sums up the mag's new identity. While the older version, according to Hus, is more "classic, elegant and timeless," the new logo uses rough, textured type for a more contemporary, "raw material" feel. To match in-store signage, the logo encases the phrase "New Arrivals" within a red arrow mark.

Large photos of wine bottles are prominently featured throughout the mag alongside product information, with release dates highlighted in bolded red type. Photos tend toward natural lighting. "It conveys the impression of good times in a hip city setting," said Hus. Colour choices skew darker, with an emphasis on earthy and metallic tones.

The magazine will now release eight issues a year—six regular issues, plus two larger themed editions with longer in-depth articles—up from the previous four issues a year. Its print run has also increased, from 100,000 to 350,000 copies an issue. Available in SAQ Selection stores across the province, the magazine is free of charge and published in French and English. Read the new issue online at the SAQ website.