Premium Packaging.
The craft spirits industry is arguably one of, if not, the most competitive industries around today. In order to have a successful brand, it is crucial to constantly be pushing the boundaries and thinking outside of the box to innovate in the field of packaging. Premium product offerings are a vital way to add brand equity and stand out on shelf, all while maximizing ROIs. This packaging product came with the challenge of transforming the flagship offering into a premium package that would justify a higher MSRP to the consumer and increase brand recognizability, all while staying within the project budget. The solution? A completely redesigned bottle and innovative blend with an added value package to compliment. Meticulous planning in regards to paper stock, varnishes, and treatments were vital to create an end user experience unlike any other.
The result is a product offering that is sold out upon release, generating an intense buzz on social and bourbon groups alike that last until the next year’s allocation.
BRIEF
Innovative Design.
With the post-lockdown buzz for the burgeoning category of ready-to-drink cocktails (RTD) , there is a shift in the market towards premium RTDs. This shift from a previously under-appreciated category of spirits presents the opportunity for companies to produce a single serving cocktail that rivals even the most premium drinks from your local bar/restaurant.
This project called for a shelf display to showcase the ingredients in a newly released, whiskey margarita100mL RTD. The package is a plug-n-play option, acting as both product display and master carton. Market research made clear the need for the package to prioritize the flavor queues of the whiskey and lime in order to stand out from the noise. The result is a fun and refreshing package that adds value at shelf and introduces a dark spirit based RTD to a rapid growth category.
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Value Added Packaging.
This 30 barrel limited release needed a custom package to highlight the specialty of the liquid inside the bottle. The goal was to design a value added package that would showcase the limited release aspect of the product and the unique story of how it was made. The window frame box works to showcase the bottle, and its folded construction allows for lower cost in production and an added ease of assembly. The “small batch” aspect of this product also lends itself to collectibility. The result? An eye-catching package that released to excitement from the bourbon community and drummed up talk on collecting every batch.
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The bright red ribbon artwork helps draw the eye on shelf whilst the gold framing elements at the face of the package presents the bottle as something to behold.
An inclusion of a spot varnish texture on the sides of the package add a palpable depth and act as a visual cue that hints at the process of the product being aged and reaching maturation in charred bourbon casks.
DETAIL
High SRP Offerings.
In the craft spirits industry, creating new, innovative product designs are the key to achieving, and maintaining, a step above the competition. Building out a product lineup from a solid brand foundation creates the opportunity to design a product that both stands out from the herd and adds equity to the mash bill. There was a need to design a product that would market both a Double Wheat and Four Grain offering as part of a premium series to showcase the work of the company’s Master Distiller. The solution? A redesigned bottle utilizing a custom die-cut front label, while staying true to the previously established design hierarchy.
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The introduction of a circular element to the primary label naturally pulls focus to the logo, while the gold foil adds to the aesthetics of a unique, wheat-based whiskey blend. Embossed hash lines were pulled from the secondary label to establish a visual ground between the two labels.
DETAIL
Point of Sale.
BRIEF
A cluttered shelf at your local liquor store can be an overwhelming thing. A challenge for you on deciding which product to buy, and an even bigger challenge for the distillery, who desperately needs to compete with the plethora of other premium in-store offerings, all with their own proprietary mash bills, selling points, and compelling brand stories. Studies have found that most consumers enter a store with only at most a handful of brands they are looking to choose from, so an additional point of sale is an effective tool to help make that conversion and possibly another lifelong customer. The solution to this problem was a call to action in the form of a bottle necker, highlighting an incentive to purchase a bottle and verify through an external link to enter for a chance to win a speed pour, ice mold or a cooler.
Knowing the brevity in which the average consumer would glance at our product on shelf, it was important to focus on a clear, eye catching design with easily digestible, typographic hook and metallic foil to reflect in the light.
DETAIL
Custom Illustration.
You have a solid product, good market-fit, and premium placement in store or online. A hand-drawn, hand-rendered illustration can make a brand go that extra mile towards brand retention, a finishing touch to make the representation of that product feel bespoke, or one-of-one. A lot of designers inherently take a calculating approach to their work, focusing on form and function. I made it a priority to include illustration to my list of abilities. In graphic design, we typically take that traditional calculating approach, but if you can also add art and beauty, then I believe that truly takes the product to the next level.