The Power of an Idea!
Ideas are powerful. Successful brands know this. If there is an added visual cue, some element of the unexpected, it makes a brain implant. It does this, in my opinion, because it entertains....
27 June, 2017
- All
- Branding
- Identity
- Package Design
- Printing
The Neck Is Very Sensitive!
I have this thing for capsule treatments. It goes way back. The label is the hero of the package. But why overlook the supporting actor? Together, they raise the entire presentation. Given what can be achieved on capsules today, capsules can play a significant role in capturing attention on the shelf. Given a wine package’s small amount of visual real estate, no square inch should be overlooked....
27 June, 2017
Designers Grilled & Speed Dated
On August 19th Wines & Vines magazine hosted their second annual Packaging Conference at COPIA in Napa. I was flattered to have been invited to participate....
25 June, 2017
From Promo Piece to Real Brand!
2008 wasn’t a good year. The economy was in a nose dive and customers were not buying wine. With inventories stuck in warehouses, the last thing vintners considered was new package design. My response was irreverent and somewhat provocative. ...
25 June, 2017
“Good Artists Borrow, Great Artists Steal!”
I was about to pull the trigger on the above leaning tower of Pisa idea for a self-promotion piece. Then I discovered someone else got there first....
25 June, 2017
The Case for a Wine Case!
I am flattered to be considered one of Jane Firstenfeld's “go-to” sources for what’s going on in wine package design....
25 June, 2017
My Favorite Rejections!
I would like to able to tell you that every one of my designs was approved at the first presentation. That’s not the way it works. In most instances, it is a process of give and take....
24 June, 2017
Old World Printing Techniques Dead But Not Forgotten!
Every once in a while I’ll get lucky and find a client who values adding depth and character to their letterhead suite. Let me quickly qualify “letterhead.” That particular element in a businesses’ identity package is now a dinosaur. When was the last you received a “business letter?”...
24 June, 2017
How to Differentiate Your Family Members:
Wineries want to create points of difference with their core and reserve wines. At the same time, there needs to be a measure of continuity between the two. Reserve wines, obviously, need to look more up-scale to reflect their elevated price points. Marketing people refer to this as “positioning.”...
24 June, 2017
Let Wines & Vines Do Your Bragging!
The October 2015 issue of Wines & Vines did just that. My thanks to Senior Staff Writer Jane Firstenfeld for generously including my work in her extensive cover article, “Bottle-Label Combos That Hook Buyers.” Jane walks readers through all the latest package design options and illustrates many projects, including my own. ...
24 June, 2017