Releasing a limited edition product is like announcing hunting season for a rare beast in the market. Unusual products appeal to everyone, from collectors of curiosities to those who want to be part of a specific event. Limited-edition spirits are a gold mine that feeds both luxury brands and small private companies like craft beer breweries. Fans are willing to stand in lines for a rare bottle, and in some cases (like at ChurchKey Bar to try Bell’s Hopslam IPA) – even camp out overnight.
But we’re not going to talk now about how creating scarcity spurs demand, but about how rare alcohol is framed. Design of limited editions is a separate story in the development of bottle shapes and original labels. Professionals of KOLORO branding agency know everything and a little bit more about the development of original packaging including for exclusives.
Bottle to bottle: the design of limited edition bottles depends on…
Alcohol limited edition is released by companies, as a rule, in connection with any event – New Year holidays, Valentine’s Day, decade of the brand. Sometimes something special is developed through partnerships and cross-campaigns (for example, stars, microphones and speakers appear on a beer label when a firm sponsors a music festival). Also, don’t forget about collector’s editions and themed exclusives to fuel interest among collectors and curious consumers.
However, the occasion remains an occasion, and the design of a beer New Year’s Eve label is quite different from a wine label. That is, the design of the package is influenced not only by external factors, but also by its very contents. The history of the drink, associations associated with a particular type of alcohol – everything goes into play when developing a unique design.
Ron Mocambo Rum bottle in the shape of a pistol – a reference to the pirate theme.
To make it clearer, let’s look at the solutions chosen for different types of alcohol and note the main features that designers “play” with to create the right impression.
Beer limiteds: sports, culture, entertainment
The beer market is fertile ground for limiteds of all stripes. The most popular alcohol can be tied to absolutely any holiday and event. Sometimes you don’t need to think of a special occasion: just tie a unique recipe to the season, and then the phrase “limited edition” will do everything for you.
The mildly alcoholic drink goes with almost everything: sporting events, music festivals, and other occasions. The “beer-chips-sports” trinity works effectively all over the world, regardless of the difference in mentality. Producers of the foamy and insanely popular drink take advantage of the established tradition by sponsoring soccer championships, boxing and other competitions. Examples include Corona Extra and limited edition bottles with portraits and autographs of boxers.
Although you don’t need to go so far for examples: during soccer championships the advertisement of the soccer beer “Chernigivske” with all the proper attributes – balls, cups, fan scarves, and sometimes with portraits of domestic soccer players on bigboards.
However, the beer-popcorn-movie scheme works just as well. Thus, limited edition cans and bottles dedicated to cult movies are on sale. Narragansett’s ultra-limited 1975 Jaws were released to coincide with the 39th anniversary of the Jaws franchise, echoing the retro design of the tins seen in the footage. Even forty years later, the banks have gotten attention – there it is, the power of classics and cross-promotion.
Another option is to brew beers using unconventional (or incredibly traditional) recipes. Authenticity itself in a bottle, there’s no other way to call it. The Field Museum has partnered with Off Color Brewing to release a limited edition low-alcohol beverage based on a reproduced recipe from thousands of years ago. To create the beer, the liquid residue from two ceramic vessels found in a Chinese tomb was scrutinized.
QingMing beer has gotten a cute design with a reference to traditional Chinese art and… incredible interest from consumers.
Another way to get the public’s attention is to combine rarity and illegality. Forbidden fruit is sweet, and with a competent presentation will seduce even those who are not too fond of alcohol, but crazy about all sorts of wild things.
Boston Beer Company releases Utopias in batches of 13,000 bottles every two years, a $200 beer banned in fifteen states. For extra originality, the company uses non-standard bottles, more like cognac bottles
And lastly (just because there’s no getting around this design) – some crazy incarnations in the packaging design of End of History Belgian ale. A skilled taxidermist worked on each $100 bottle, using real roadkill squirrels.
The series turned out to be very limited: a total of 11 bottles were produced, each of which was accompanied by a unique certificate.
Design of a limited edition wine: the quintessence of elegance
Wine is a noble, ladylike, refined beverage. Basically, any adjectives that emphasize elitism are used for this type of alcohol. Especially on the Ukrainian market, where the drink has not gained the popularity it deserves (judging by the statistics of consumption abroad).
However, even there, the drink retains a flair of sophistication – both in its flavors and in its presentation. The design of the limited edition wines combines classics and new graphic techniques in label design, geometric shapes and play on contrasts. As a prime example of out-of-the-box form and legendary content, the 2012 limited edition Ampoule is worth mentioning.
The company’s chief winemaker, Peter Gago, explained the concept, “Project Ampoule is a provocative statement about the art and science of wine.”
Manufacturers of the noble drink also do not deny themselves the use of popular images. Wine lovers and fans of the popular Outlander series have been given the opportunity to order the limited edition Outlander Wine Collection. This is an example of a successful cross-campaign between Lot18 and Sony Pictures Television. The set includes four bottles with handmade labels featuring characters or conveying the atmosphere of the best-selling book. A total of 2,500 bottles were produced.
More and more often non-standard color solutions, glass painting or its imitation are used in packaging design. Designer bottles are a great and effective option for limited editions. Echo Falls has created a limited edition collection designed by British designer Holly Fulton.
More about wine label design read more about wine label design from our blog.
Balancing the introduction of new colors and shades, the limited edition series uses traditional minimalist color combinations. White-red-black always looks spectacular and timeless.
Portuguese Nostalgia is a project that puts emotions rather than wine on the shelves of gift stores. The design of the bottles corresponds to the name of the series: white graphic silhouettes on a black background convey feelings and experiences that will remind you of time spent in Portugal.
Hard liquor: history and innovations in the design of limited editions
Strong spirits – those in the liquor category – are also often produced in limited editions and collector’s sets, so that manufacturers successfully drive up the price. The strength in this case stands alongside the company’s history, which gives the drink a certain fundamental character. Although, along with the classic design of bottles there are also original, following the modern trends (which, of course, the experts of branding agency KOLORO are aware of).
Examples include premium mescal. This is the first release of the Mezcales de Leyenda series, made from montana agave growing in the Sierra Madre Oriental in Tamaulipas, Mexico. The design of the packaging and label is as simple and natural as possible (agave, from which the drink is made, is chosen as the background). The shape and crystal clarity of the bottle allows you to see the contents. It’s a prime example of minimalism and naturalness, setting a limited edition drink apart from the standard majority.
Traditional cultural motifs are also found in the design. They allow you to experiment with the shape of the bottle and emphasize the uniqueness of the product, when the “masterpiece” becomes not only the filling, but also the container itself.
Clase Azul Ultra is asking $2,000 for a single bottle. The tequila is aged for 5 years in sherry barrels, and is sold in handmade ceramic decanters. Every
the bottle was created over two weeks, they feature a 24-karat gold label and a painting of pure liquid platinum. The number of bottles in the series is 100 pieces.
Some companies, along with the drink (incredibly rare, and therefore valuable), also sell a story. Old Rip Van Winkle 25 is one of the rarest batches of bourbon. In 1989, only 11 barrels of this drink were released. To stop the aging process, it was transferred into steel vats in 2014.
Today, the whisky is offered in a special glass decanter by Glencairn Crystal Studio. The decanter, in turn, is placed in a wooden box, the lid of which is made of wood from the very barrels where the bourbon was aged.
Dekanta, a Japanese purveyor of old and rare bottles, is offering a raffle: 150 randomly selected winners can purchase a special edition 35-year-old Cities of Japan whisky. The surface is marked with symbols of the largest cities of Japan, and the bottle itself is executed in traditional Japanese minimalism. Red, black and nothing extra.
Along with the “oldies,” quite modern limited editions are also selling remarkably well. The design is usually strict, laconic, geometrically correct.
How to find the best solution for your limi
The design of limited edition alcohol packaging is a delicate matter that takes into account a lot of factors: target audience, geography, competition, emerging trends. When it comes to original serving, it’s important to create a shape and choose a color worthy of a unique, virtually scarce offering. By contacting KOLORO branding agency, you will solve all arising issues at once and get the result you expect. Our professionals know how to convey emotion, inspire confidence or ignite interest with volumes and shades. Kind of like magic, but that’s what you need most of the time.
