YCN... Packaging Research (Dragon Rouge 4)

- Cruzan, Rum

Still looking at the Dragon Rouge consultancy, this is Cruzan the brief set for Dragon Rouge 'Our task was to make Cruzan the premium rum for a consumer looking not for wild partying, but to enjoy good times with a high quality drink.'

I think quality is the word that comes to mind when I look at the labelling for these bottles, they aren't for the young drinkers who are stereotypically seen to drink for 'wild partying' but maybe a few drinks on an evening among friends, or after a hard days work.

YCN... Packaging Research (Dragon Rouge 3)

-Ballantines, Whisky.

Again, another Dragon Rouge creation. Their brief was to attract a new audience of whisky drinkers, a very similar brief to our YCN brief. There were similar restrictions to the brief we are following such as being 'sensitive to brand equities'.

Although this is a design for a more traditional drinker, what stuck out to me was the finishing method, the UV varnishing, which makes the bottle stand out more when behind the bar. This is something to consider, as this may effect the consumers choice when at the bar. Also with the brief being similar to the one we are working on, it instantly caught my attention.

Linked in with this was the Ballantine Activation, a project to create a buzz and excitement for this drink, particularly to engage with young entrepreneurs.

This design works really well, using the Blue from the bottle, as part of a gradient towards a lighter blue to make the product stand out more. The format would not work as a portrait and the way it has been framed looks effective. Part of the pattern in the background uses the number 12, which creates an original looking piece of work. The words ' Takes You Beyond' in capitals, really addresses and speaks to the audience, as if the poster is going to take you beyond as well.

The Brief:

Context

Creating a buzz about a drinks brand calls for real energy and imagination. Competing brands are constantly upping the stakes on trade to get their product noticed. Ballantine’s wanted to create the right talk in the bar to make their 12 Year Old whisky the drink of choice for the young stylish entrepreneur. They needed a big idea.

Challenge

While whisky drinking is booming in Asia, in other national markets, it has lost out in others to vodka as the style-setters tipple. Our challenge was to get bar tenders and consumers excited about Ballantine’s 12 Year Old’s flair and authenticity – the stylish, sophisticated, approachable choice for the drinker in their 30s. Our idea for a theme needed to be capable of stretching across bar environments, event invitations, competitions and the kit that goes with a good drinking ritual.

Solution

Our core idea was ‘Ballantine’s Takes You Beyond’ which inspired trompe l’oeil features for bar interiors, 3D wall art, bar tender aroma kits and uniforms and competitions – all designed to create theatre and get the brand talked about (and tried) in all the right places. We helped turn B12 into an attractive choice for an entirely new customer. To top it off, our Beyond idea was then used by their advertising agency in a major global campaign.

To me, this is a great idea, people don't always want to take notice of websites as it requires work, and remembering the site address. Having some kind of interactive experience involving the bar staff and customers seems an interesting, easy way of engaging their potential new consumers.

YCN... Packaging Research (Dragon Rouge 2)

- Martell L'or, Cognac.

Also by the Dragon Rouge design consultancy. The brief that lead to this creation was for the launch of an 'ultra-premium product that would embody the essence of Martell cognacs'.

This bottle is such an innovative, bespoke design, it really communicates the idea of a luxury, product. It is a far cry from the usual bottle designs, a cylindrical, whole, form. The curved shape and rounded cut-out, tied in with the leafy patterns send out a signal of elegance, and femininity.

YCN... Packaging Research Dragon Rouge

We all decided as soon as we saw the Glayva packaging, that it was definitely not designed with a young, contemporary audience in mind. In our creative team we decided what was to blame was the colour of the liquid!

These are examples of packaging that are young and contemporary;

-Calle Azul, Tequila.

Taken from: http://www.shelfimpact.com/newsletters/si-01-21-11.html

Printing gives distinction to new Sam's Club tequila

Sam's Club is making a play for a share of the global tequila market, which has grown 9% in the past decade, led by the premium and ultra-premium segments. Sam's Club has introduced its own tequila, marketed under the Calle Azul brand.

Collaborating with Dragon Rouge, a design consultancy, Sam's Club developed a brand that would appeal to consumers looking for top-quality luxuries for everyday enjoyment. The brand identity and package design were built around the concept of "mastering the art of tequila," explains Eric Zeitoun, president of Dragon Rouge's New York office. The idea was inspired by Mexico's enduring passion, culture, and history that uniquely cultivated tequila's refined taste and excellence.

The brand experience starts with the product name. Calle Azul suggests the path to the blue agave source and region. The brand's visual identity, expressed through the package, balances the best of old and new for Mexico.

A modern font conveys the contemporary feel of Mexico, and the signature sun icon references Mexican heritage and its central role in nurturing the qualities of agave. "The sun's presence has inherently mysterious qualities, similar to those associated with tequila, and is further enhanced by the dark blue, almost black color palette chosen," says Marcus Hewitt, chief creative officer in Dragon Rouge's New York office.

The graphics are printed in four colors directly onto the glass bottle surface with UV ink screening, which is similar to an applied color label but has a different curing temperature than an applied color label and doesn't have ink color limitations because of toxicity challenges. Vitro provides the 750-mL bottle.

The rich colors on the clear glass bottle contrast with the color of the tequila seen through the bottle, and they accentuate the richness of the 100% Agave Añejo tequila. The sun image repeats, in a different color pattern, in the neck of the bottle.

A cork/cap closure provides a sense of traditional-looking tequila packaging, and the cap area is sealed with a clear shrink-wrap, from Continental Packaging Solutions, for tamper evidence.

"Dragon Rouge's development approach produced a unique branding and creative solution for Calle Azul to position the brand relevantly and distinctively as an ultra-premium tequila," says Maurice Markey, Sam's Club's vice president of private brands.

Calle Azul is rolling out in about 200 Sam's Club stores across the U.S.

The bottle for this tequila really works, I love how the design uses a contemporary font, but brings in traditional, Mexican heritage. It shows that this colour of liquid can be combined with a well designed label without the need to hide the colour of the contents. The idea of the sun complements the colour of the tequila as it is a warm colour visually, but also in erms of taste. The red 'E' works too, I am not sure exactly how it is pronounced but may enhance the linguistics of the word.

Print Analysis

In groups, we have analysed different types of print, in terms of the process used, special finishes etc. To help us with the analysis we had a linen tester, which is a magnifying glass with a scale, and they are used to look at the quality of fabric...

Twenty Pound Note:

- Process:

Some of the images used on other bank notes are engraved by hand on metal plates 'whilst others are created using a Computer Aided Design (CAD) system and are drawn onto film by a laserbeam. When finished, the images are duplicated many times onto printed plates ready for the presses. Specialised inks used to produce the notes are also manufactured on site; approximately 85 are required for the four denominations' .

There are three processes used for bank note printing: Offset Litho, Intaglio, Letterpress.

From examining the note, I believe the letterpress is for the type, as some of the lettering is raised.

Intaglio: this process is used to add the portrait of Her Majesty the Queen and the raised print on the front of the note. The ink rests in grooves engraved in the printing plate. When the plate comes into contact with the paper the ink is forcibly ‘drawn’ from the plate onto the paper under very high pressure. This produces the raised print which is one of the characteristics that gives Bank of England notes their distinctive feel.this process is used to add the portrait of Her Majesty the Queen and the raised print on the front of the note. The ink rests in grooves engraved in the printing plate. When the plate comes into contact with the paper the ink is forcibly ‘drawn’ from the plate onto the paper under very high pressure. This produces the raised print which is one of the characteristics that gives Bank of England notes their distinctive feel.

http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/production.htm

- Stock:

The stock is a special paper that combines linen and cotton with a gsm of about 80 to 90, the combination of linen and cotton is for durability.
' Using copious amounts of water, the cotton is broken down into individual fibres and reformed into reels of paper of the quality required.The watermark design is engraved in wax and, like the metallic thread, the image is incorporated into the paper at the manufacturing stage.

- Format:

British bank notes are all of a standard format. The smallest note is a £5, then the next size up is the £10 note then the £20 and £50.

- Specials:

Raised print, Texture of Paper, Holographic strip, Fluorescent features, Microlettering - all of these features are to make it as difficult as possible to create counterfeit notes.

- Target:

The audience is anyone residing or staying in the UK, maybe even people who collect money.

- Quantity:

Very high production rate, by the millions.

- Competition:

Other currencies?