A wine maker’s story and heritage is difficult to capture through a label or standard packaging. The true test for making a wine’s story and heritage come to life is to design a one-of-a-kind packaging that blends history and heritage.
Most wine manufacturers place great emphasis on getting their labels just right. Their reasoning is sound: it’s the label that catches the eye and convinces shoppers, most of whom aren’t wine experts, to give their product a chance.
Opting for wine packaging takes things a step further. The challenge is creating something as unique as the wine itself. In this article, we’ll discuss how wine manufacturers can create packaging that grabs attention, promotes their brand value and quality, and tells their unique story.
Colors, Fonts, and Graphics
Your color, font, and graphic selection can make just as big an impact on your packaging as your labels themselves. Special finishes to wine labels draw consumers’ attention. Adding unique touches like foil finishes in attractive golds and metallics, contrasting dull and soft touch elements, or adding embossing details create a reason for consumers to engage with a wine bottle, creating that first initial interaction.
What better way to capture the essence of your wine right away than with fonts and typography? Because the human brain processes visual information much faster than it can read text, the way your text is displayed makes an immediate impression. These visual cues are great for consumers. Even if they don’t know much about wine or can’t distinguish the fancy terms, the cues hint at the wine’s quality and how it might taste.
With rigid set-up boxes, the most popular type of wine packaging, the customization options are practically endless. A light color and whimsical font can say “This Beaujolais is fruity and refreshing” while a dark, bold scheme pairs well with a dry red. Elements such as maps where the grapes are grown, or graphics that reveal the taste undertones or suggest food pairings, are also instant attention grabbers that tell a story of their own.
Specialty Packaging and Multipacks
Every wine is unique. It’s hard to find another industry that offers so many opportunities to celebrate this uniqueness through packaging.
A significant portion of wine buyers gets these unique, one-of-a-kind experiences by joining wine clubs. Whether they pick them up at local vineyards or have them shipped directly to their homes, it’s a great way to create lasting bonds with customers.
Manufacturers keep club members loyal by offering vintages they can’t find anywhere else. They can cement that loyalty with unique packaging. This creates excitement every time a new shipment arrives and encourages club members to show it to their friends. Customers become brand ambassadors.
Many manufacturers also offer multipacks. These create the perfect opportunity for unique packaging. Adding wooden grain looks, uncommon structural designs, and interesting viewing windows that align with the brand can create an interactive element that adds to the overall consumer experience. an interesting viewing
Wines Suited for Gifts
Whether it’s an anniversary, wedding, housewarming or holiday, wines make the perfect gift. Unique packaging can complement every occasion.
Think about it from the recipient’s view. Interacting with a beautiful package (and eventually opening it) becomes an unforgettable part of the experience. And it’s great for gift-givers because they don’t need to worry about wrapping.
One extra luxurious option is a full wood box. This solid design conveys an element of old-world charm that instantly sets it apart from every other bottle.
Putting It All Together – Bringing a Story and Heritage to Life
An example of bringing a story and heritage to life is the collection series packaging design for Cuvaison’s Finest Chardonnay and Bordeaux Collection Series. The packaging highlights the timeless spirit of Andy Warhol’s original label art for the winemaker and Cuvaison’s Finest Chardonnay and Bordeaux Collection Series. In his signature style, Warhol arranged grapes in stunning patterns and colors. In this case, a luxurious rigid set-up box reinvents Warhol’s label printed on the front, enclosing two bottles of wine (a Chardonnay and a Bordeaux blend), each with their own unique label created by Warhol. The inside of the box recounts the story, making this the perfect collector’s item.
Stand Out From the Pack
In the ultra-competitive wine market, having a great product and label is just the starting point. Investing in unique packaging could be just what you need to stand out. Creating a packaging design that reinforces a wine’s brand and enhances the uniqueness of the wine itself requires thoughtful planning and extraordinary innovation.
Expert Editorial
by Corey S. Gustafson, President, JohnsByrne Company
Corey S. Gustafson serves as the President at JohnsByrne. JohnsByrne Company, a custom packaging and print solutions provider, has been a leader in the print and packaging industry since 1959 and partners with major brands in health & beauty, food and beverage, and consumer products. With a culture built around innovation, quality, design and speed, their offerings span value added folding cartons, specialty packaging and high impact direct mail.
