Spotlight: Wine & Spirits Packaging

Classy Design, Famous Works of Art Improve the Look of Hillebrand Wines On the Eve of Their 25th Anniversary

Andrés Wines Ltd. saw that their Hillebrand Estates winery was nearing a pivotal 25th anniversary mark, and shortly thereafter concluded that the brand needed some reconsideration. The winery never had a problem selling their product on site at the charming Hillebrand vineyards, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, but the bottles lacked shelf presence in liquor and grocery stores.

The new Hillebrand labels promote a strong, unified brand identity for the family of wines, as well as for each sub-brand. The new labels adorn each of Hillebrand's product lines—Harvest, Vineyard Select, Collector's Choice and Showcase.

"We wanted to elevate the quality perception of the brand," explains Jean Pierre Lacroix, president of Toronto's Shikatani Lacroix Brandesign. Lacroix felt that the previous designs did not reflect the "personality" of the product or the winery, and did not resonate with consumers. Substantial market research performed by the firm backed up his beliefs.

In creating a new identity for the brand, Shikatani Lacroix explored a variety of label shapes and colors, ranging from traditional to

very contemporary. The distinguished designs that Hillebrand settled on were created to communicate Hillebrand's brand positioning, highlight the quality and heritage of the wines, and elevate shelf prominence.

Celebrating the brand's 25th anniversary, the label designs display an illustration of the winery and a seal with the "established since" message. These elements communicate the sense of heritage and trust that Hillebrand enjoys as one of the first wineries in the Niagara Peninsula region, which has since become increasingly competitive.

Shari Niles, Andrés Wines' vice president of marketing, had tapped Shikatani Lacroix's talents a few times when she was at Quaker Oats. "All of their work was really refreshing," Niles admires, adding that with the Hillebrand brand, "They explored everything from A to Z."

Sarah Merrifield, Shikatani Lacroix's account director on the Hillebrand project, directed much of the redesign into cleaner, simpler motifs. The strong and dominant black band and contemporary "H" crest are maintained across all products and promotions. "We took the shield and simplified it," explains Merrifield. "We wanted customers to recognize brand first, variety second."

Collector's Choice, Hillebrand's premium line, uses Group of Seven paintings on a longer label to convey a more premium look. Group of Seven paintings are recognizable and iconic Canadian images, and two different paintings are used categorically—one for red wine and one for white wine. Other "cues" for the higher-end lines include thicker paper stock and embossed logos. For the hand-crafted Showcase line, a "torn" edge emphasizes the line's personal appeal.

Shikatani Lacroix Brandesign is one of the largest independent design agencies in the world, and prides itself on creating packages and labels that emotionally connect consumers with brands by fusing innovation with visionary design.