ŽufánekCzech Republic
Packaging design
Žufánek is a spirits brand that is well-known and beloved in the Czech Republic. Introduced in 2002, the design of the core range had not changed significantly since their launch: it involved an abstracted illustration of the fruit, the name of the product in a handmade "woodcut" font and the brand name. The problem was that the quality of the product was not reflected in the label anymore, given this "traditional label" had become the industry standard for fruit brandies in the Czech Republic. Since Žufánek is the no. 1 brand in the country for this category, it was time for a change, particularly since the client was preparing to have a design suited for exportation.
Starting from the same original idea of abstraction and of having a symboliser for each flavour, we strove to find a new minimalistic solution, which would carry the label into a more premium territory. We decided to abandon the visual language of "homemade" and "artisanal," which was no longer suited to Žufánek’s ongoing brand growth.
In the new design, instead of the illustration of the fruit the signifier for each flavour becomes the initial of the product name, therefore creating a new alphabet of alcohol.
The redesign process addressed not only the aesthetics of the packaging design, but also its functionality at both the product and portfolio-wide levels. The final design spans 20 products (and counting!) and includes 2 ranges and 2 bottles sizes.
This project was awarded a silver Art Directors Creative Award Czech Republic for packaging design in 2019.
Photography by alex shoots buildings.
The redesign included more than just a new look, we also focused on creating a functional pack architecture within the label, which would be able to convey more information than the previous design, while not overpowering the layout or damaging the overall minimalistic style.
The new label includes the English translation of the product name, the category of products it belongs to, the origin and emotional cue ("pure Moravian spirit") as well as the production process (e.g. triple distilled).
The letters become the heroes of the packaging design, attracting attention when seen from far away, on a bar shelf, while also holding the consumer's attention when seen up close, through the graphical execution of the 45 degree line pattern which was inspired by the Žufánek logo itself.
