Branding and packaging updates are always interesting. Especially when the change is significant. While the primary branding for L. A. Cetto maintains visual continuity with its predecessor, the new labels are a complete departure.
Let’s start with the primary branding. The previous logotype was unremarkable. Nothing more than the brand name set on a single line in a simple sans serif typeface with some thick and thin variation in the letter strokes. The new typeface is similar but adds a few serifs and enlarges the C and O in Cetto. Doing so provides balance and the flat tops of the ETT in between make for a solid platform over which we now find the L. A. initials. The shield, which saw a previous update, is further modernized here and centred underneath the type. It’s a nice lockup.
The old label featured an image of grapes that might be a detail from an architectural structure or piece of pottery. It is isolated in a square above two label strips that identify the brand and other information about the wine. The typography isn’t particularly clean or sophisticated. Replacing the grapes image as a cultural marker on the new label is a graphic medallion. It has the appearance of an indigenous artifact but look closely and you’ll discover the metallic outer ring is composed of the initials LAC. The three letters are mirrored in line and then repeated as they encircle the circumference. It’s quite brilliant. Inside that circle are two rings of pictograms of various subject matter and designs. There are 24 of them. Is it a timepiece? The medallion is placed to the right of the label and is intersected from the left by the varietal identification. Not sure how I feel about that decision or the choice of an italicized serif typeface. Still, the layout is very clean and well organized. Dropping the shield below the label baseline is also a nice touch.
L. A. Cetto is Mexico’s largest wine producer. The family has been making wine for close to a century. That kind of history deserves an elevated presence in the marketplace. This new packaging is clean and modern yet maintains a cultural connection. There is a short-term risk of consumers not recognizing a familiar product due to the extreme change to the label. I have purchased this Petite Sirah for many years and would not likely have realized this was a well-known favourite had I not seen it in a listing. The upside to this update is attracting new customers with packaging that enhances the perception of product quality.
A bold packaging update is an aggressive strategy. If sales are stagnating it is often necessary. It can also spur growth. Will the L. A. Cetto update move the brand forward? Time will tell.
What do you think of the new label? Would you make the connection with the old one? Let me know in the comments below.
