How The Fat Jewish Packaged His Persona Inside a Can of Babe Wine

Josh Ostrovsky, more commonly known as The Fat Jewish, probably doesn’t even own a suit. The internet sensation much prefers sporting frosted tips, a fuzzy pink jacket and a bare beer belly. And he has made it clear to his more than 10 million Instagram followers that he says, and does, whatever he wants. Disrupting the alcohol space with rosé, Pinot Grigio and red wine in a can—which pairs just as well with wings and football as it does with a fancy cheese board—has been no exception to this rule. According to Ostrovsky, what sets his brand apart from the competition is its convenience, inclusivity and "marketing that gets people talking.” “We try to be the embodiment of high and low,” he told Adweek. “There are very few drinks that can be served at an exclusive Fashion Week party where a German man in tiny glasses is wearing multiple scarves and at a college party (where everyone is obviously 21) with people screaming at the top of their lungs.” Babe Wines, which was bought by AB InBev in 2019, saw a 182% increase in web traffic during the lockdown and a 7.6-fold increase of wine sales on its own site, according to the brand. Through strategic brand partnerships, an authentic personality and a product that reflected alcohol trends before they even happened, the brand has come out of the pandemic with a success story. According to Sharon Harris, marketing expert and CMO of digital agency JellyFish, Babe Wines is “creating a new lane of accessibility” for Gen Z, who may be turned off by the notion that wine is meant to be pompous and exclusive. “Babe is trying to elevate the idea that wine doesn't have to be so serious, and you don't have to be a sommelier or know the difference between when you have red and when you have white,” Harris said. “It should be fun, it should taste good and it really shouldn’t be so complicated.” Campaigns without boundaries It is hard to predict what Ostrovsky might do next, and throughout the pandemic Babe Wines has upped its efforts to embody this spirit through prioritizing self-care with unconventional marketing campaigns. After giving away millions of dollars worth of wine on social media at the beginning of quarantine, Babe partnered with Bumble to help fans survive breakups, built its own Monster Truck and released jockstrap-scented candles. Babe also promoted its bubbly, 100-calorie rosé by giving away portable bathtubs, and, most recently, the brand has partnered with Hotels.com to help moms celebrate Mother’s Day by spending some time away from the kids. Babe Wines has partnered with Bumble, Hotels.com and Ryan Porter over the past year. According to Harris, Babe’s ability to insert itself into other industries—from dating apps to hospitality—allows the brand to predict consumer behavior. “They chose brand partnerships that really cover the vast landscape of where their audiences can be, not only today, but also in the future," she said. "And I think that's what's going to actually make them successful." A new wave of drinkers Ready-to-drink cocktails are taking over the alcohol space, and the explanation is simple: Consumers are prioritizing convenience over show, and they’re not looking to drink in excess like they used to, according to Arthur Shapiro, veteran beverage consultant and author of Inside the Bottle. While the wine industry may be facing a downward trend, Babe has been able to counter that by competing with hard seltzer brands like White Claw and Truly. “Babe fits the trend towards convenience, but in the context of fun, over-the-top kind of humor," Shapiro said. “People are just not looking to get bombed the way they did before. They’re looking to relax, have a change of pace and not get hammered.” Ostrovsky is definitely not the first celebrity to release a line of booze, but unlike most celebrities who have entered the space, he's made his drink's brand synonymous with his own, which is crucial in an image-driven business. “At the end of the day, they're all pretty much the same, but there is an attitude you develop towards a particular brand that expresses who you are and what your personality is,” said Shapiro. "He’s counter the corporate phenomenon, and people love him. He’s selling himself just as much as he’s selling the product.” Maturing like 'a giant adult baby' Although the brand has come a long way since the launch of the White Girl Rosé in 2016, Ostrovsky understands that without its lighthearted image, Babe would lose its authenticity. “I'm proud of how much we've grown and matured, while simultaneously staying totally dumb, like a giant adult baby,” he said. “Partnering with Anheuser-Busch has allowed us to scale distribution and blossom into an enterprise company with graphs and charts and multiyear production forecasts, but at the same time we've remained focused on keeping the insanity of the early days.” Why Ranch Water Will Be the Drink of the Summer