Package design is about more than the visual communication of graphic design. Sometimes the container itself speaks volumes. The fragrance industry understands this well. Desire begins with shapes and surfaces fashioned in glass.
Wine is a market dominated by standard vessels. A unique bottle stands out. The Freixenet Rosé bottle is stunning. The diamond-shaped cut glass pattern sparkles as light reflects from its angles. It heightens the appeal of the blush-pink liquid within.
The label is minimal. A minuscule crest. Brand name. Simple product identification. That’s it. And though the label is small, the elements are well-spaced on the pink pearl background. Unfortunately, the tint doesn’t match the wine well.
The challenge with packaging for Rosé is coordinating colour with the hue of the product. Rosé can vary substantially in brightness and shade. Some styles are a mere tinge of pink while others lean toward crimson. As a designer, you really need to work with a product sample in the bottle it will be sold in. The colour of the glass can also have an impact.
In the case of Freixenet Rosé, the colour clash is of little consequence. No one will judge this package as the sum of its parts. The whole is drop-dead gorgeous. As with the lure of perfume packaging, this elegant product design promises an experience rich in anticipation.
I anticipated that more was promised by the packaging than the product would deliver. Like it was overcompensating. I was wrong. As written on the back label, “It’s a refreshing wine with a subtle perfume and delicate palate of red cherries and strawberries.” Truth. I rarely describe wine as refreshing but without reading that text it was the word that came to mind. This is a warm summer day Rosé. Fresh and thirst quenching. An experience to savour as sunlight glimmers on the glass of the bottle.
