BRAND BUZZ
5 TRENDS
IN CRAFT SPIRITS PACKAGING WRITTEN BY
DAVID SCHUEMANN
The craft spirits boom has flooded the market with thousands of new brands that have successfully carved out a niche for themselves by leveraging package designs that promise quality through evocative design and hand-crafted sensibilities.
O
ver the past few years, many trends in craft spirits packaging have emerged. Some are proven to work well, others may be played out, and some new ideas may be starting to gain traction. There is no silver bullet, however, knowing the lay of the land is critical when developing or repositioning your brand through packaging.
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NOSTALGIC
SENSIBILITY
One of the most popular trends over the past few years has been a historic look that leverages the rich history of a region or brand via elaborate designs. Often the packaging uses a contemporary twist on nostalgic, turn-of-the-century design aesthetics from the US and Europe. This trend is optimized by:
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Flourishes and elaborate detailing Gold foil accents Historic and hand-drawn typography Elaborate crests and seals
This trend is rampant in craft spirits and has been largely successful in the market to express:
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Luxury product sensibility
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A simpler, more honest promise of quality
A positioning that captures the rich opulence of historic European and Victorian age design
The market has been flooded with brands that leverage this design sensibility. While it appears that packaging with a nostalgic look will continue to be desired, a point of saturation is quickly approaching and this look may no longer have the ability to help a brand stand out among its competitors.
WWW.ARTISANSPIRITMAG.COM
BOOTLEGGER & PROHIBITION As one of the more popular design routes in craft spirits, this trend is inspired by the Prohibition-era days of bootleggers and speakeasies. It’s not a surprise that this look has become fashionable with craft distilleries since many feel an affinity with the bootleggers who bucked the status quo. This trend spans the range from “home-spun” designs with hand-drawn type, to raw, almost “undesigned” packaging, to mysterious elicit speakeasy-inspired designs. This trend is optimized by:
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A rough-hewn or hand-drawn style used in typography or across the entire label
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Labels that have elements written in by hand or that use “typewriter” fonts
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Labels that are printed on craft paper and feel bespoke
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Black labels that are mysterious and evocative
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Labels that leverage old Americana imagery
This trend is extremely popular with both US and Canadian craft spirit producers and has been largely successful in the market to express:
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The lore of bootlegging during prohibition in the US Small-batch, handcrafted quality The resurrection of family recipes into new products/brands
The market is full of brands that leverage this design sensibility. It may appear that there’s no end in sight for this style, but unless brands have a more direct tie to this design trend through their personal story, it could feel a bit expected — or worse, contrived — to a potential consumer.
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