The Challenge.
Soon to be opening a distillery on Portland in Dorset, I was requested to produce a logo and 3 bottle labels for the brand ‘Red Crane’. Several key elements we asked for as part of the designs including a crane, geometric shapes, and a lack of strong cursive type.
The Solution.
Due to the theme of rum and with the rum and the Portland roots, it was important to be nautical while staying away from being cliche. The client pointed this out by requesting no anchors or stars; unnecessary elements that were overused.
I found a nautical style font that wasn’t too overbearing or exaggerated, but fit the brief, and worked the crane element into it by hanging a hook at the end, blending it into the text. I wanted to produce a strong emblem that would stand out on labels for the customers to see easily while they were choosing what to drink, so the large ship and circular shape with ornamental elements were bought in along with the strong font to catch their eye. Adding a gradient to the emblem lines and red of the font crane was a last minute addition due to the client wanting the product to shine. While the type of label paper can help when printing, it can be a costly and perhaps an unnecessary expense.
I was also asked to create 3 different flavour labels; white rum, dark rum, and scotch bonnet. While the logo took up most of the label, it was still important to fill the label with the necessary information while blending it in nicely making it its own design. This is where the ornament elements came in nicely, bordering the label and adding a touch of class to the bottle. To bring in a little of Portland and the sea, I added a box toward the bottom filled with a light wave illustration, which also separates the logo and other important information, making it more legible to read.
- Logo design
- Three bottle label designs
- Following a brief
- Supporting local business
- Bringing in elements of class, the sea, and Portland.