Package Design - November 2012 - 36

FIELD NOTES

Spirited Fashion
Does this stylish twist on the bag-in-box concept make alternative wine packaging cool?

THE PRODUCT
Vintners have explored alternative packaging for wine for years. Unfortunately, alternative packages have come to equate lower-quality vino for many consumers. This is especially the case for bag-in-box varietals. Takis Soldatos, Oenoforos, in cooperation with Sofia Blomberg Art Direction & Design, aims to change that with its “Bag-in-Purse” wine Vernissage. The playful wine package is filled with high-quality varieties from the French wine region Pays d’Oc. The package has garnered praise from the packaging community over the past two years, including winning a Gold Pentaward. The design has some obvious sustainability benefits—being a lighter weight alternative to glass— and serious differentiation on shelves. The package also has practical qualities that help prevent product problems such as cork taint or degradation due to oxygenation. But do Package Design readers consider the design a winner or a gimmick gone too far?

than a bag-in-a-box wine. They have done an exceptionally good job of appealing to the modern wine drinker, but only if you’re happy to carry a handbag in a supermarket.
Johnathan Caldwell, packaging designer and developer for Paragon Designworks

THE VERDICT
This package is absolutely brilliant! The creative, new approach to marketing wines puts a smile on my face. Structurally, the shape helps Vernissage stand out among the typical rectangular boxed wines. This, in combination with the contemporary fashion graphics and foil stamping, makes it a winner in my eyes. They designed a package cool enough to wear as a fashion accessory. Now that’s great packaging!
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november 2012

I can’t wait to get my hands on one to take to our next dinner party. It’s an instant conversation starter. Bravo!
Jerry Escobar, principal at Ignition Silicon Valley

The packaging design is a very creative and artistic translation of how fashion, culture and lifestyle relate to one another and clearly elevates the box of wine. While the aesthetic seems a bit limiting, skewing towards a female consumer/ audience, this can perhaps translate into obtaining a larger share of this market. PD
Merrie Keller, independent strategic brand developer

A great combination of on-shelf standout and original cues towards the product origin that uses Parisian haute couture imagery instead of the rolling vineyards traditionally used. The simple but well adapted box is more practical

Want to have your package design highlighted in this column or comment on future, spotlighted package designs? Contact Linda Casey at linda.casey@stmediagroup.com.
Package Design - November 2012

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