Alcohol bottle design has the main purpose of standing out. There are so many wines, beers, cognacs and other spirits on supermarket shelves that it’s easy to blend in. Developing a unique alcohol packaging is much more difficult.
Research & Branding Group conducted a survey on the choice of alcohol in Ukraine. About 60% of Ukrainians occasionally consume alcohol, with vodka and beer being the most popular drinks (49% of respondents). Ukrainians with secondary and higher education prefer vodka, much less drink dry wines (27%), champagne (19%), brandy and cognac (18%).
If there is such a demand, the supply will not lag behind. So how do you make your product unique? Package design! This will allow you to:
- pitching the brand to the audience correctly;
- to emphasize their products;
- to please the buyer.
We’ll tell you about the 8 latest trends that have won over fans of the hot stuff and help you design your alcohol.
Bottle design trends
Emphasis on form
Creative shape of a wine or cognac bottle is not just an interesting design solution. The shape will help to reveal the concept of the package, tell more about the drink, and position the consumer.
For example, Moscow designer Pavel Gubin has played on basic human instincts by offering a metal packaging for milk cream liqueur. It has the shape of a woman’s breast, coquettishly decorated with contrasting lace. It is recommended to drink directly from the neck.
Playing with color
Color always carries a specific association for the audience. For example, transparent tones are associated with the design of vodka. The design of youth cocktails implies bright colors, and craft beer has packaging in two or three soft shades.
The design of the vodka bottle by José Luis García Eguiguren is based on the relationship between color and emotion. The bottle consists of two spirally intertwined tubes, one filled with vodka and the other with a fruit filling. The yellow bottle is for the joyful, the red for lovers, the blue for the sad, and so on.
Minimalism
A succinct and concise statement is a special chic in alcohol design. There is only one rule – buyers understand simple packaging well. It is not necessary to saturate the design with unnecessary details.
Egor Myznik’s concept is an example of such packaging. A bottle without a label, wrapped in kraft paper, attracts attention and creates a unique brand philosophy.
Non-standard materials
Glass and plastic are a familiar tandem that one would like to separate in the design of a bottle of expensive wine, cognac or other beverage. This is how alcohol wrapped in fur, denim, accompanied by cardboard and wood appears on the market.
The Kracken rum gift batch offers an alternative material for the bottle – ceramic. The outline of a creepy creature from myths is shown directly on the walls of the container, which supports the style of the brand.
It is not uncommon for the rejection of any material to be for a good cause. Carlsberg created the Green Fiber Bottle, a biodegradable bottle made of wood fiber. The functionality of the packaging is not affected, but the company has made an invaluable contribution to environmental protection.
Interactive packaging
Interactive packaging engages the customer in interacting with the product. Such packaging is sure to evoke vivid emotions in your audience. All you need is a game element.
Exclusivity
The category of elite alcohol is governed by special rules. To stimulate the interest of fans, brands release limited edition spirits with unique designs. For example, designer Zaha Hadid created a wine bottle concept for an Austrian winemaker.
The design of a high-end champagne bottle should combine both luxury and style. An example is the work of Reynolds and Reyner – a concept called Colier.
Vintage
Vintage never loses its uniqueness. As in the previous point, the company offers the buyer to get something exclusive, created individually. In some cases, designers use handmade stylization.
In some areas of the alcohol industry, vintage is a necessary element of style. Craft beer packaging can’t seem to look any different. Vintage also complements concepts for rum, gin and other spirits.
Functionality
Functional packaging attracts attention as much as a striking design or stylish shape. Practical trends have embraced the alcohol industry, so brands are increasingly offering customers reusable packaging, as well as looking for new technologies to impress the audience. For example, a Japanese company, in order to protect sake from direct sunlight, produces it in opaque bottles made of frosted glass, and Marks&Spencer recommends drinking wine from glass containers.
Alcohol design: how to develop a successful rebranding effort
Design becomes outdated over time, and customer desires change. Therefore, many alcoholic beverage companies carry out, if not a complete rebranding, then at least a redesign of their products.
Scottish craft beer Brewdog is now available with a stylized handmade label. Its creators claim, “We did this with one goal in mind – to develop packaging that better emphasizes our beer.” A handcrafted craft beverage and a label design made with wood and metal imprints is an organic union.
Read also: The 11 rules of label design. How not to step in a puddle
One of the best-selling beer brands in the United States and most recognized worldwide, Budweiser has gotten rid of unnecessary elements in its packaging. The logo has become more concise, as has the label for all types of containers. This is not a sophisticated beer design, it’s a stylish update of a mass-market product.
Pabst Blue Ribbon is an inexpensive beer popular in student circles. When conquering the Chinese market, the company formed a different image. A rebranding of the packaging resulted in a name change to Blue Ribbon 1844, a price of $44, and a bottle more appropriate for spirits. The beer is now created with caramel malt and aged in whiskey barrels.
Read also: Analyzing the design of beer bottles and labels
Rebranding of Ukrainian alcohol
Ukrainian companies are not lagging behind and are renewing themselves as actively as foreign companies. In May this year a new brand of non-alcoholic beer with the name “O” appeared on the market. “Obolon” decided to develop a separate brand ofalcohol-free beerinstead of a position in its assortment.The recipe of the drink has not changed.
Odessa Cognac Factory faced a problem, producing both vodka and cognac under a single brand “Shustov”. The search for a brand hierarchy and the separation of vodka from cognac forced Odessa Cognac Factory to look for a solution. The brand “Shustov” acquired a clear cognac direction, while dividing into two directions – classic and modern drinks, and also changed the design of the cognac bottle. This increased sales by 25 times and increased brand recognition.
Old trends go away, new ones appear. The main rule is quality design.KOLORO will design your alcohol by professionals!
