A faceless gentleman in topcoat, tie and classic formal hat. It’s a formula that’s worked well for Megalomaniac wine packaging for many years. Change the style and colours of the three essential components and you have a new product label. I can’t think of any other brand with this many extensions based on a single concept. The ones included here for reference are but a few examples.
The brand itself is rather bizarre. Megalomaniac? Who thought that moniker would sell? How did they even come up with that? From the winery website: What’s in the name? I originally wanted to christen these wines in my name, John Howard, …and then my good friends accused me of being yet another “[profanity withheld] megalomaniac”. Regrettably, the name stuck.
You might already be thinking about a few too-proud friends or associates you’d like to gift these wines to. The brand gives you the opportunity to take the mock insult up a notch with product names like Narcissist, SonOfABitch and one I received myself, Pompous. I’m sure it was a joke.
If there is a tactic that works well in wine branding it is establishing an irreverent attitude. It’s good to be bad. Negative is positive as long as you’re not serious. Give people a reason to crack a knowing smile when they see your product and you’ve achieved the kind of engagement that sells.
When it comes to well-designed product packaging there is a fine line between high volume, corporate marketing style and good design that authentically expresses the brand. Megalomaniac is a great example of the latter. The formality of its characters represents their serious approach to winemaking. The gentlemen insist on quality. But it’s all in good fun. Wine is to be enjoyed.
Is this a brand you would respond to? Let me know in the comments below.
