The Art of Minimalist Liquor Packaging: This is so much the case that the phrase ‘less is more’ has become a common aphorism that is meant to convey that doing something can be more effective and certainly less cumbersome than saying it.
In the context of marketing and advertising campaigns, one of the last things that one would expect is the idea that ‘less is more’. But don’t you always want to attract users with fascinating pictures and spotlighting colours? This strategy can be effective for certain types of products; however, there is a shift in the liquor and spirits industry where brands are opting for understated branding and designs. Whether vodka’s plain white label that was once so close to death or the beautiful copper bottles of Arbikie Highland Estate’s whiskeys, some of the best liquor packaging designs of today avoid maximalism.
That is why this kind of an aesthetic, which is defined by simplicity and minimalism, is gradually gaining popularity? There are a few key reasons this design approach resonates in today’s market:There are a few key reasons this design approach resonates in today’s market:
It Stands Out
Try to go down the liquor aisle in your local shop, and you will be surrounded by labels and graphics trying to capture your attention. In this ocean of graphic chaos, a simple bottle with a white label and black font is rather noticeable. This is not designed to blend into a background due to the absence of any decoration or bright colors. A bottle design minimalistic looks quite appealing due to its simplicity.
It Highlights Quality
Most liquor brands applying minimalism do it to draw attention to what is inside the bottle not the bottle itself. Death’s Door Vodka, with its simple white background and black font, is telling you that they couldn’t care less about glitz and glamor. This subtlety of the package design gives a message that nothing has been spared when it comes to the real process of vodka production.
It Feels Modern
Given the fact that the lives of people have become filled with devices and inputs coming from all sides, the tendency of minimalism has become an answer to this problem in everything starting from home décor and ending with the design of a tech product. Apple played in this regard from the start as their products were never cluttered with bold design features. In liquor, this appears to accord with modern, trendy design trends where companies strive to distill products into their simplest forms.
Less Waste
This is due to the fact that the general public has become more sensitive to issues of sustainability, and the need to minimize on waste. Products that are packaged in a very complex way are always suspect regarding the environment. Adopting a plain design that does not distract from the product is one of the simplest strategies sustainable brands can use. One good example of this is the Highland Rye Whisky produced by Arbikie which is housed in a distinctively simple yet effective bottle that is made from recycled copper.
It Implies Authenticity
Just as the fact of directing attention to the quality of the contents can be translated into popularizing the idea of something being processed ‘authently,’ the same can be said about giving the product a minimalist look. Similarly as a loaf of artisan bread does not come in shiny plastic wrapping but is simply covered with plain brown paper, the liquor brands such as a handwritten label to suggest a timelessness, tradition, and by implication anti-marketing conspicuousness.
Easy to Recognize
Consider how easily distinguishable from other brands The Macallan’s bottles are now thanks to their square shape. Or even the Grey Goose vodka with the French flag incorporated in their company logo. Maintaining a clean and simple look that does not change from year to year is even the form of the bottle is sufficient to recall the brand. In a store with hundreds of similar items, having that differentiation is what sets you apart.
Now that we have explored the strategic reasons behind this minimalist trend in liquor branding and package design, let us look at some stellar examples of brands putting the “less is more” mantra into action:Now that we have explored the strategic reasons behind this minimalist trend in liquor branding and package design, let us look at some stellar examples of brands putting the “less is more” mantra into action:
Death’s Door Vodka
We have mentioned Death’s Door multiple times in this article, and for a reason. I have not seen many liquor packaging designs that share such simplicity and eliminate much of the graphic flair as this brand. Their vodka bottle is just a plain white label, black font that reads “Death’s Door Vodka” and some writing on the side of the bottle that indicates that their vodka is distilled and bottled in Wisconsin as well as their company tagline, ” Cutting to the chase since 2005”. The no frills, plain and simple image aligns with their no nonsense production approach where they use the finest components and focus on method rather than fancy branding.
Arbikie Highland Rye Whisky
This magnificent Scotch hails from Scotland and leaves first impressions with its unique bottle design and copper hue. Constructed from recycled materials, it features a round shape with copper accents around the neck and at the base while the body remains clear to reveal the caramel hue of the whisky inside. It looks traditional but clean and shiny like it came out of the future – it has a metallic sheen to it. The name, Arbikie, and the logo used are as classy as the name with simple fonts and styles.
Ki No Bi Dry Gin
This Japanese product for the minimalist packing category uses the general Japanese style seen in architecture, home appliances, cars, and other electronics. Ki No Bi shaped as a rectangular bottle with an acute angle to provide the look of the 21st century while remaining loyal to the brand’s values. The alcoholic beverages are visible through a glass with a slightly foggy look to it; inscriptions are kept to an absolute minimum – the logo, the variety “gin,” a depiction of a cherry blossom branch. This is very effective in its simplicity of approach.
Grey Goose Vodka
Of course Grey Goose might not be as minimalistic as some of the other craft spirit brands but they did a fantastic job of implementing minimalism to one of the biggest brands out there. From the bottles’ sleek and thin shape to the simple and restrained graphics that are reminiscent of the tricolour of the French flag, the whole packaging is a manifestation of glamour minimalism. Even today Absolut has become a global vodka brand and regardless of the country or region in which you are the first things that comes to your mind when you look at that tall frosted bottle with blue accents is nothing but quality.
In Conclusion
Don’t get it wrong, however; it is in tandem with the sophistication of consumer preferences and the increasing concern for environmental issues that minimalism continues to surge further in the spirits category. Wise alcohol producers know that minimalistic and uncomplex layouts make consumers to focus on the value of the product inside. As our attention spans are increasingly divided by screen saturation, it’s also a welcome relief to have a clean slate. Although the blaring and gaudy adverts seem to still work nowadays, the most sustainable contemporary spirits brands understand that subtlety outweighs loudness when appealing to the modern values. Even the finest spirits are sometimes at their finest in their unadulterated state.
