Daryl Woods is the Creative Director at Pitchcork Wine and Spirits Marketing. In addition to labels he creates new brands, advertising and promotional material for producers large and small from around the world.
The first time I saw Smiley Rosé I banished the thought of ever buying it. Shelves are filled with rosé wines from around the world. Some with extraordinarily elegant packaging. Yet there, in the middle of them all, was this bottle with a bubblegum pink smiley face
West + Wilder is a brand sold exclusively in cans. The product is available in boxes of three. The design of the cans is simple and elegant featuring detailed plant illustrations on the face. The artwork wraps completely around the can allowing lots of space to detail the brand inspiration—West coast states including California, Oregon, and Washington—and to highlight their contribution in support of preserving wild public spaces.
Popcorn Chardonnay is a clever creation. The minimal design works in some ways and could be improved in others. POPCORN set in a bold sans serif typeface is strong and clear. It pops against the stark white label that's tapered to mimic a traditional popcorn carton. The scalloped shape of the label top suggests popcorn but the structured alignment is such an oversimplification it loses the connection.
Emiliana introduced special packaging for their Adobe Rosé. The entire bottle is encased in a beautiful, full-colour paper wrap. The flowers, fruit, birds, and butterflies on a soft pink background are very pretty. But there’s more to this wrapping than aesthetics.