Package Design - August 2013 - 15

Rebellious
Redox
Rebel Coast Winery takes
a maverick approach to the
winemaking business.

rom its heavy-weight glass bottle, to the glow-in-thedark handlebar mustache graphic, Naked Rebel wine
has made its presence in vino culture known. Naked Rebel
is the first vintage released by Rebel Coast Winery. The 2007
blend of Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon and Amador Syrah is
aged in French oak barrels with only 150 cases made.
Founded by two brothers, Chip and AJ Forsythe, began
their winemaking careers as students at Cal Poly, making
wine in trash cans and under bridges and then bootlegging
the product to fellow dorm room dwellers.
Partnering with Silicon Valley incubator, Boost (www.
boost.vc/program) was, “one of the best things that could’ve
happened to us,” explains Chip Forsythe. The startup
received guidance from mentors and acquired investors
with the help of Boost. The packaging design
and copy that appears on the back of the bottle
was created in-house by Chip Forsythe. When
prompted about the quirky name, “Naked
Rebel” Chip Forsythe explains, “We wanted to
do something that was a name that was easy
to remember, fun to say and unintimidating, something easy to pronounce.”
All American Containers (allamericancontainers.com) supplied the hefty amber
colored glass bottle. The artwork created by
Chip Forsythe, was sent to Monvera (www.
monvera.com), which screen prints the
copy and graphics onto the bottle. The silk
screening process was selected over a traditional label because it will never peel off if
the bottle is wet or chilled. Chip Forsythe
mentions, the cost for glow-in-the-dark ink
is a bit more expensive, but he believes the
benefits outweigh the price tag.
The copy on the backside of Naked
Rebel depicts the personality and creed of
the brand to a tee; “I know it’s kind of a
drunken ramble and it kind of hops all over the place but
that’s kind of the point. When I was writing it I wanted at
least every person that read it to be able to identify with two
to three different things in the story. I wanted to make
something that conveys as much personality as possible.”

A Stride Towards
Premium
Active Series aims to address the
needs of the high performing athlete.

erck partnered with brand strategist and design consultancy firm Product Ventures (www.productventures.com)
to create product language for Dr. Scholl’s Active Series insoles.
The design objective was to achieve harmony between the packaging and product all the while distinguishing Active Series from
the variety of other Dr. Scholl’s insoles on the shelf.
The design process was divided into two parts, the insole
packaging design and the packaging display. Product Ventures’
industrial and graphic design teams worked together to create a
cohesive look for packaging and display. Product Ventures’ CEO
Peter Clarke comments on the project, “By having the teams
work together, the design aesthetic developed for the insole was
translated to both the packaging and the in-store displays, creating cohesive communication across the brand.”
The team considered the color palette, background texture,
photography and typography to convey the athletic feel in this
premium series. They had to balance the architecture and
branding of the Dr. Scholl’s blue and yellow badge with an athletic flare, this resulted in the swooping yellow banner that
evokes a runner’s finish line mark.
Merck sourced the materials used in the packaging project,
which consists of a clear package with beveled contours that
shape nicely to the insoles. Colors used, consist of a vibrant green
for the male athlete and a salmon/pink for the female athlete. A
halo glow is used along with die-cut windows, so consumers can
touch the grips and develop a feel for the parameters of the insole.
Communication of hierarchy is addressed in the package
design as three distinct zones are highlighted, the heel, arch and
ball of foot.
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Package Design - August 2013

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