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Branding concept for Distillery

toucan_graphics

New Member
I'm trying to develop a brand image for a new distillery. They like the current design I submitted but they are hoping to refine it even more. I'm currently hitting a wall and looking for your input. I have incorporated their feedback into the design below, such as the bull and different font for the tagline, but I'm not loving it. Many of you know typography is not my strong suit and I am trying to improve in this deficiency, but time is of the essence and really need to nail this job. Any advice or suggestions?

Here is their design brief as well as what they had to say about the current v/s what they are looking for:

Design Brief:
Vintage is a good word for the traditional side I’m going for…the font treatment in the Durham of the sign in the brief is definitely vintage. I also think of traditional in terms of more conservative font treatments or block styling too The best way I can think of encapsulating the branding is that is should convey both the foundation is the history & tradition of Durham (and therefore the foundation our Gin), along with the modernization of
the South today (and the modern techniques and botanicals that will go into our Gin).

Feedback on design:

Great design -- good balance! Skyline treatment is very well done. Would love to see the bull incorporated as subtle element in skyline treatment.
Other consideration: Any potential in getting a modern font treatment in to balance the classic and the modern? Feels too traditional overall right now.

durham-distillery-logo-with-label2.jpg
 
I'm nowhere near as good at typography or graphic design as some of the people on here, but I need a break from the 45 identical fire department tags I'm making, so I guess I'll throw in my $.02. I think your layout is off to a good start, but I don't like the fonts. Alegrian is used way too much, and the other font just doesn't fit. I threw this together using LHF Signmaker, LHF Woodmere, Appleton and Fritz Quadrata. You could make "Durham" and "Distillery" the same font if you wanted to, and "Traditional Spirits" and "of the New South" could also be the same font. I was just trying to give you some ideas. I would however bring the "Durham" down tight like I did and use that water tower as part of the design, make the text a different color and have the water tower going up through it. If you need inspiration for old style fonts, go to Letterhead Fonts. I know their prices seem high but for what you are getting it is actually really reasonable!

I just noticed the water tower is behind the text, I forgot to move that layer to the front before I posted this. But you get the idea.
durham dist.jpg
 

Stanton

New Member
Kerning between DU and RY is too wide.


Before commenting on the design itself I would need to know...

Who is their target drinker?
How much $$$ per bottle?
What level of quality is the hooch?

(a sample bottle wouldn't hurt either. :wink:)
 

toucan_graphics

New Member
Kerning between DU and RY is too wide.


Before commenting on the design itself I would need to know...

Who is their target drinker?
How much $$$ per bottle?
What level of quality is the hooch?

(a sample bottle wouldn't hurt either. :wink:)

Target drinker (I think) is post-college age late 20's and up
$30 and up for bottles
Premium quality going head to head with the big names

I'd love a sample bottle for inspiration but the quality of my design might suffer the more "inspired" I become lol
 

rjssigns

Active Member
My advice is to sit down with some paper and pencils. Much easier to conceptualize ideas. You don't have to be an artist either.(lord knows I'm not) Just be able to "scratch" out base elements before committing to computer time.

That being said:

Since it's a clear bottle with a clear liquid try placing the bull on the back of the front label. Bull could also be used as a watermark for the front too. I would use the face of the bull and then only use part of it. Placement would be in either corner on the top.

Can always have the bull as a dominant feature while using the skyline as a secondary element.
 
My advice is to sit down with some paper and pencils. Much easier to conceptualize ideas. You don't have to be an artist either.(lord knows I'm not) Just be able to "scratch" out base elements before committing to computer time.

That being said:

Since it's a clear bottle with a clear liquid try placing the bull on the back of the front label. Bull could also be used as a watermark for the front too. I would use the face of the bull and then only use part of it. Placement would be in either corner on the top.

Can always have the bull as a dominant feature while using the skyline as a secondary element.

I like this idea. The bull would look great in the background, maybe distressed or something. I would definitely take it out of the skyline though, it looks out of place there.
 

SightLine

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Probably not a real big deal (layouts are totally different) but the black skyline has already been done by a rather close by brewery and is featured on a lot of their stuff (like a vehicle wrap I designed :p, glasses, bottles, etc.). It is of course not identical but they are somewhat close by and also alcohol related (brewery instead of distillery).
 

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toucan_graphics

New Member
I'm really shocked that in this day and age you would use Algerian.
The tagline font is equally awful.
There are sooo many totally cool old style fonts out there.
I particularly love this semi-local distillery's labels.
http://www.ellenjaye.com/hist_mono3overholt.htm
Love....Jill

Believe me - Algerian is not my first choice... they were very specific that it look "old-time" but not "western". The tagline is supposed to be a "modern" font. They want to illustrate their commitment to old world craftsmanship yet they want consumers to know they are new and have not been around since 1865.

I think I am going to rework the entire design though and see if going in a new direction unlocks more possibilities.
 

GypsyGraphics

New Member
here's two sites i love, that should be great inspiration for you...
oh beautiful beer & mr. cup (i have a love hate relationship with mr. cup)

Oh Beautiful Beer

Mr. Cup
(if you happen to be a Breaking Bad fan, check the way cool posters half way down the page)
 

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
I'd like to see 50% (the left side) of the skyline removed, and then simplify and enlarge the rest. It appears to be way too busy, and the left side doesn't really add that much. Perhaps incorporate the tall stack on the right side for balance, if need be.

With the bottle sitting on the shelf, the present skyline looks like a battleship from a distance.

Also, use a monoweight sanserif typeface when placing white on black. Anything less gets absorbed into the darkness.


JB
 
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