Johnston is often hired to refresh a brand that’s getting stale. The brand usually has loyal fans, so design elements should be retained in the new look, but somehow it needs to be brought up-to-date. Secret Ravine came to me with the label on the left. They had built their brand on the image of the old miner and wanted something different. I presented fresh ideas but also felt there might be more life in the miner. So I cleaned him up from head to toe and added clarity to the wine glass, pile of grapes and juice pouring out of the pan. Secret Ravine was thrilled! They fell back in love with the miner panning for wine and chose the label design shown on the right.
The brand “It's a HeadSnapper” is easily identified by the intense orange color. For a brand refresh, orange had to be retained, but the old fashioned illustration of the giddy woman had to go. My concepts included the label design shown here with a contemporary illustration of a head-turning woman with a mischievous smile on her face. Making the woman herself orange, verses a flesh-toned color, was an effort at diversity, but ultimately the client put a stop on the project to rethink the brand’s positioning.
Pacific Peak wanted a more contemporary look to appeal to wine drinkers who were less concerned with tradition. They requested a clean (less busy) design that could be altered through color changes to make a full line of wines. I achieved their goals with a graphic mountain range that changed colors for each varietal and blend. I updated the typography and created a seal to add a feeling of authenticity for a brand that was established but still relevant.