Package Design - March 2014 - 10

SNAPSHOTS

Restoring an
American
Tradition
Breathing life into hard cider
packaging

Sweet and Silken
Mistela wine dresses up for the
festivities.

s I am Italian, I'm obsessed with details. Details make
the difference," explains Francesca Della Croce, the
freelance designer responsible for Bodegas Antonio Arráez's
Mistela package redesign. Della Croce embarked upon the
challenge to liven Bodegas Antonio Mistela.
Playing with the varietal designation, Della Croce altered
the Mistela name to Miss Tela, creating a new identity. Typical dress of the colorful Valencian celebration Fallas, the biggest fiesta in Spain inspired the label design. Sparing no
detail, Della Croce researched the rich tradition of silk crafting in Valencia, visiting Museo del Colegio Arte Mayor de la
Seda, a Valencian museum to better understand the art of
local silk crafting. Photos were taken from the original
designs by Vives y Marí (vivesymari.com), Spanish silk craftsmen, located out of Xirivella.
Della Croce, insistent on fine details, searched for a type
of paper reminiscent of silk when the consumer touched the
label. She stumbled upon Manter (en.manter.es), a Spanish
supplier with a label offering called, Costellation Silk Paper
that fit the bill, luxurious feel, yet strong and water resistant.
The most difficult element of the design project was the
printing process, or finding a printer who could deliver the
vibrant floral graphic on the unique silk-like paper label.
Della Croce discovered Graficas Varias (www.graficasvarias.
com), who was up to the printing challenge.
A custom typeface was designed by Della Croce for the
Miss Tela label, evoking a hand written calligraphy feel, without competing with the floral design on pack.
A small booklet explains the characteristics of the product
and history of the package design inspiration rests on the bottle's neck.

MARCH 2014

ard cider has a long
history in the
United States. Johnny Appleseed was actually on a
mission to grow more apple
trees for cider, not pie,"
Steve Sandstrom, founder
and creative director of
Sandstrom Partners (sandstrompartners.com) enlightens. "Eventually cider was
replaced by beer as the predominant alcoholic beverage of choice." Fortunately, a recent interest in the return of
hard ciders has swept the nation, introducing American and
international brands to the market. Experienced cider maker,
David Cortz saw a window of opportunity to put his expertise
to work and introduce a quality hard cider to the spirits
industry.
Construction of the organic brewery and bottling line in
Healdsburg, CA, simultaneously advanced with the creation
of the brand identity and packaging by Sandstrom Partners.
Product names were inspired by tools commonly used on a
farm. "The tools represent old world farming practices, but
also the do-it-yourself spirit of the team," says Sandstrom.
With Sonoma Cider serving as the brand name, slightly more
aggressive designations were selected for the various flavor
varieties: The Hatchet, for apple; The Anvil, bourbon apple;
and The Pitchfork, a pear offering.
Custom illustrations were created by the design agency to
represent the various farming tools on the labels and cartons.
Color choices were inspired per flavor. The colors intend to
deliver a pop against the dark background. Metallic gold is
harmonious with the color of the cider and evokes a high standard. Four spot colors: black, gray, cream and metallic gold are
utilized as a brand standard, with additional spot colors per
flavor offerings.
The Sonoma Cider's logotype was created specifically for
the brand and is based on the typeface Gotham. Supporting
typefaces include Simple Type and Caslon-a mix of classic,
serif and contemporary, sans serif.

Package Design - March 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Package Design - March 2014