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Winemakers, striving to create the perfect wine, can pay maximum attention to caring for the vines and experimenting with technology. But the time and effort spent getting the blend flawless will be wasted if you fail … the label design.
Oleksandr Andreiev, co-founder of the Reynolds and Reyner agency, which has been engaged in wine design for more than ten years, both for Ukrainian and foreign products, told us about the peculiarities of creating labels for wine.
No matter what, but people tend to judge a book by its cover. And, of course, the label acts as the “cover” of wine. Wine.net recently surveyed 2,000 buyers about what influences their wine choices. The researchers asked to clarify what factors were most important for them in their choice: the visual of the label, the shape of the bottle, familiarity with the wine itself, the variety or the vineyard. And during the experiment, it turned out that 82% of respondents made their choice only on the basis of the appearance of the labels.
Every brand manager or company owner should know that wine design is a separate area of design, it should not be ordered from those who have never done it, for example, from web designers or identity designers, and even from those who deal with packaging of other mass market products. Wine design has its own world with its own rules and subtleties. It is necessary not only to feel the category, but also to understand the properties of paper, effects, technical limitations, why capsules are needed, and the rules for gluing labels depending on the shape of the bottle and the characteristics of their storage.
As for the visual part, it should be noted that each wine brand is unique. Therefore, the general rules and trends that can be found on the Internet will not suit it. You need interesting solutions to stand out on the shelf filled with a huge number of competitors. Placing photos of vineyards, wineries, terroir or barrels on labels is a long-worn solution that no longer works. It is necessary to search for a deeper idea, which is vividly visualized on the label.
If you are creating a new brand or line of wine, you should make an effort to carve your niche on the shelf. A well-thought-out brand strategy will help you find your way to stand out and become noticeable: why you need a product, who will buy it, how to attract consumers, and most importantly – how we will be different and stand out. With the theory out of the way, you need to start practicing and create a visual feature for the label.
One of the most recent works by Reynolds and Reyner is the design for the new Shabo Special Edition line. The main element of the label is the image of a swallow. The idea was based on the fact that it is a positive image, a bird that is loved in Ukraine and welcomed with joy in the spring. This is an easy to remember and noticeable image. The buyer will not pass by.
For this collection, two types of labels were created: one with a large contour image of a swallow, which is read from a distance, for semi-sweet wines. And a swallow on the label in the form of a small print – for dry wines of a slightly higher price category.
If a brand has already existed for 3-5 years, it was originally made with high quality, but the question arises of redesigning the label – there is no need to radically change it. The design must evolve, improve, but remain recognizable and carry the brand’s DNA. Take a look, for example, at the Marengo sparkling wine that Reynolds and Reyner worked on and see how the label design has evolved over time.
1 photo. Old label, roughly 2015: complex configuration, many geometric elements – figured corners, strokes, arched logo writing in compressed font.
2 photos. Slightly updated label, 2019: after the redesign of Marengo vermouths, sparkling wines were also partially updated – the main elements are similar to the old ones, but they have become simpler, the brand spelling already has a weaker curvature, fewer strokes and a simpler font.
3 photos. Completely new label, 2021: a laconic and simple die-cut shape, the brand logo is now centered and has been removed from the bend that previously prevented a simpler label shape design.
We take two designs – an old one and a new one and see if it’s better. Has the branding become more visible, but at the same time has not lost its recognition? The answer is obvious. Moreover, the new label did not come as a shock to the consumer, as he had been accustomed to it for many years. Plus, the design has become more modern and elegant, and your favorite wine is now visible on the shelf even better than before.
Each wine category has its own unwritten design rules. We are all accustomed to the fact that still wine has one bottle shape, and sparkling wine has another. This is understandable most often even without labels. But sometimes sparkling drinks can be packaged in a different format for sale – for example, in cans. And in this case, it is important that design tells the buyer what exactly is inside. After all, cans contain beer, juices, and drinks.
Working on the case for the Landini carbonated wine drink, Reynolds and Reyner created a design where all lettering and background elements are composed of bubbles. Thanks to this design, the buyer immediately understands that this is a sparkling drink. In addition, the back of the can shows a map of the country of origin – Italy. It identifies a clear place where this drink is actually produced.
We can safely say that label design is just as important as the skill of the winemaker. A wine label needs to grab people’s attention, generate interest, and convey a series of important messages to drive purchasing decisions. Therefore, its creation must be approached with a deep understanding and knowledge of all aspects of wine design.
Photo: marengo, np_landini9, shabo, zamR1
