SBO Contents Spread

Wine Bottle Creative Brief

CLIENT:

Killer Bee Wine

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile.

A medium to full bodied wine with a fine structure that supports black and red fruit flavors with notes of olive, chili and herbs that add complexity.

PROJECT:

Wine bottle and gift package

OVERVIEW:

The purpose of this project is redesign the logo, labels, and other design elements of the wine bottle as well as create a special edition gift box or package.

COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES:

The overall look and feel of the wine bottle and packaging should appriciate the time-honored art of wine making, but with a clean, contemporary, sophisticated, and updated appearance. The theme of the logo and packaging could be derived from and/or suggest the name Killer Bee, but without being overstated and obvious. Killer Bee should be represented in a unique, subtle, possibly fun or humorous way.

Typography will be the most important graphical element, and therefore should be clear, consistent, visually strong, and well-organized.

The special gift box should be visually beautiful and well crafted. It should be in harmony with the design of the wine bottle. The wine bottle and the gift box should feel as if they belong together. The box will not only serve to house and protect the wine bottle, but will also be a unique selling point aimed at making the wine feel special and desirable.

Wine Bottle Labels

My idea is to cut the front label out in a circle but leaving the "points" on the left and right sides. The small label that says RESERVE is for the neck of the bottle.

A Designer's Habitat (Week 6)

Most of my design work is done at my house, named Ziegelhaus (meaning brick house). Drawing, sketching, scanning, designing, and printing take place in the Roosevelt Room. The Roosevelt Room is the spare bedroom, named for Teddy and FDR (see photo of Teddy above the piano). Photographing, Cutting, trimming, pasting, destroying, weeping and gnashing of teeth take place in the kitchen (also known as The Refectory).

Wine Bottle Redesign (Logo)

I wanted the logo concept to define the words "Killer Bee" but it had to be something new and fresh. In other words, no images of bees holding guns or knives, or dripping blood. Those are too obvious. It needs to be subtle. At first, I thought of a bee with crossbones underneath, but I don't want to infer that the wine is poison. Then I thought perhaps the markings on the back of the bee could make a subtle skull. Then it hit me, use the type to convey the message (See the following logo ideas). Also, I found a great image of the natural geometric proportions of a bee (see the circle diagram). According to "Sacred Geometry – Philosophy and Practice”, by Robert Lawlor, the proportions of the bee are a 1 to the square root of 2 ratio.

Mastheads and Cover Ideas

Examples of Great Wine Bottle Design

 Molly Dooker Wines. Not only are these fantastic wines by Sarah and Sparkey Marquis, of the famed Marquis Vineyards, but the label design is beautiful and playful at the same time.

Seriously, buy this one if you see it, and you'll know why its a cult classic.

Continuum is an amazing (expensive) bottle of wine from the Mondavi Family. The label is striking and simple. You can't see it well in this image, but the edges of the old vine leaves are lined with shimmering gold leafing.

I have never tried this wine, but I love the clever use of typography to draw attention to the name.