Basically, all brands of sake sold in Japanese supermarkets are packed in traditional brown or green bottles with their brand name written on bottle label in black calligraphy. Therefore, the heirs of sake brand Ohmine hope their sake can have a unique package, not only allowing consumers from different countries to clearly identify sake with different alcohol contents, but also opening the international market and the market for the young. Meanwhile, it will be better if it can functionally withstand direct sunlight and prevent deterioration.
SDL sent design specialists to Japan and specially studied the brewing technique of Japanese sake, finding that the finer the outer surface of rice is ground, the higher purity and grade the sake has. Based on this finding, SDL designed a milk-white opaque bottle which protects Ohmine sake from direct sunlight. Ohmine also agrees to print the name of the product on the bottle directly via the silk-screen printing technology instead of the label.
The demonstration mode of the three alcohol contents of sake is inspired by the fermentation process of sake making: The more the impurities are removed, the less the rice cores are left and the higher the refinement degree the rice has and the better quality the sake has. So, bottle packaging was created based on the image of refined rice free of impurities, e.g., the bottle for pure sake is printed with three rice grains; the bottle for pure rice Ginjo is printed with two rice grains; the bottle for pure rice Daiginjo is printed with one rice grain.
This design broke through the numerous similar-looking Japanese sake brands and allowed international consumers to easily understand different grades of sake. Therefore, earning a great popularity in the market, this Sake brand promoted its sales rapidly by 30% in the second year and opened international market promptly. It not only was included in the menu of three-star Michelin restaurants but also became one of dedicated wines of the 2013 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
- Mackmyra
- Whisky brand, Sweden
- Packaging design
- 2013
- Exhibits: screen content and table items.
In Scotland, the first evidence of whisky production comes from an entry in the Exchequer Rolls from 1494. In Sweden, the first endeavour into whisky production came in 1999 when Mackmyra successfully distilled their first bottle.
Mackmyra approached SDL in 2013 to help create packaging for their seasonal limited edition whisky Midvinter (Mid-winter). The winter whisky had matured in mulled wine barrels, giving it a hint of the traditional Scandinavian winter beverage, and a taste of Mackmyra’s dedication to its Swedish origin. A frost white, label-less bottle that embodied the characteristics of the northern mid-winter; scarce and cold, yet surprisingly intriguing and appealing. A clear bottle for the Midnightsun version was designed later. To support and strengthen the minimal expression SDL created a rigid, bold, and straightforward typographic expression, that has become the signature for the series and moves the brand forward.
- Yanghe Dreamer
- Alcohol producer, China
- Art direction and design
- Unique bottle design
- 2016
- Exhibits: table items.
Jiangsu Yanghe Distillery Co., Ltd. (Su Wine Group) is located in the famous Chinese wine rural area of Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, Yanghe New District. The company has a total of 19 billion yuan in assets, and more than 27,000 employees. SDL was asked to update the design of Yanghe Dreamer, to target a younger audience.
The bottle is based on a combination of 3 shapes: circle, superelipse and a supercircle. The blue color was reduced to a line embossed on the bottle.
