From a design perspective, there isn’t much to comment about here. This is one of the most minimal wine labels I’ve ever encountered. In fact, it caught my eye because I didn’t realize it had any label at all. And then, there it is: Don’t tell Gary.—a three-word sentence set in yellow letters with a typewriter typeface on a black strip barely large enough to contain the words.
Great label? No. Intriguing concept? Yes.
You have to discover the why with this one. You have to grab the bottle and check to see if there’s a back label that explains it all. There is. What first grabs your attention is what looks like a high school yearbook photo of the stereotypical class nerd. That’s Gary. Well, not the real Gary. A symbolic Gary. You see, Gary is the CFO at McPherson Wines. He’s the accountant. Gary would not have approved the expense of producing this wine. It’s a brilliant way to express that this wine is more about passion than profit. It’s also relatable because everyone has been told at some point in there life that something they really wanted was too expensive.
You’ll learn a few more things on this back label. The wine is a 2020 Shiraz. It’s from Central Victoria in Australia and the winemaker is Jo Nash. Normally, you would find this information clearly expressed on the front label. But this is a secret. Don’t tell Gary.
Gary would freak if he knew what it took to create this impressive wine. Expensive French oak barrels produced that big, bold Aussie Shiraz you always hope for. Dark fruit. Dark chocolate. Full-bodied without declaring it’s high alcohol content. The price is reasonable too. Underpriced? Don’t tell Gary that either.
Branding isn’t always about design. A great concept or intriguing moniker can be equally successful. Don’t tell Gary. Shiraz scores with both. It creates curiosity and delivers humour. That’s a winning combination.
