Tequila Art

I seem to be on a packaging theme these days. Today's feature: Don Julio Tequila. At this point in the post you should start playing The Champs' 1958 instrumental "TEQUILA!" in your head. It's really a song you can't forget the only word to, even if you've had a few margaritas.

So why Don Julio? Why not! I saw this packaging and it really appealed to me. First, the color. It's an elegant, rich blue that says quality, similar to other blue boxes ladies like to get. Second, the agave illustration. I just love how it joins two sides of the box to create some interest. The strength in this packaging is its simplicity. It doesn't need a lot of stuff because the product sells itself. The box looks nice, so the tequila must be good too. Sold!

I wish I had more time, but I've got some more "research" to do on the subject. That and I have some thesis work to attend to. Cheers!

Sake Art

In the past year I've become a big fan of cold, dry sake and the design of the bottles. Often times they look so delicate and pretty but with a bold edge. I finally took one of the bottles to share with you. Well, not technically share since it's gone but I thought the design was too sleek not to show you.



This bottle design is from Sho Chiku Bai Ginjo- say that five times fast. I'm in love with the frosted glass and delicate green brush strokes that create the elegant bird silhouette. It reminds me of my Martha Stewart hole punch actually. This is a stand out example of simple, elegant, refined packaging.

Not only was the design nice, so was the sake! So much so that we may have had *several* bottles. I started investigating because one of the other bottles we drank had a really cool design that looked like a soy bean I think. The waiter took away the empty before I could snatch it though. I did find the below picture of the collection of three.

Via Liquor Brands:

Upon further investigation I also found lots and lots of sake information. For instance I found the following explination of Sho Chiku Bai- Sho: the pine stands for health, Chiku: the bamboo represents prosperity, Bai: the plum portrays beauty. I heart when good design also has a good story behind it.

If you're interested in learning more about sake check out the following sites: Sake World, Sake.com, True Sake and Wikipedia. Kampai!

Sparkling Package Design By Morning Glory

My new year's wish for sparklers came true! A friend passed along two boxes of Morning Glory sparklers and I was excited not only for the pyrotechnics but also for the packaging. I love the retro illustrations, especially on the green box where the sparkles just POP. I did a google search for more packaging but didn't come up with much. I did find this really cool Firework Art Group on Flickr. I think I need some more sparklers, I'm feeling inspired.

These Morning Glories were very fun. Instead of the traditional sparkler that has a more limited sparkle range, these actually shoot the sparkles out. They are quite smoky. But very fun. I'm holding on to the boxes too, they are just too cool to get rid of! Next time I'll bring my camera...

New Year, New Business Cards

I finally put in a full order for business cards from Moo and I was not disappointed when the package arrived. Their packaging is beyond fantastic. Right down to the holder and mini cards inside. They have great products and great customers (*wink*). I highly recommend them!