CF Napa Brand Design specializes in brand strategy and design exclusively for the wine, spirits, and beer industries. With more than thirty-five years of experience, their capabilities include brand strategy, naming, logo development, package design, marketing and point-of-sale collateral, signage, and websites.
CF Napa has created hundreds of new brands with incredible success and restaged even more existing brands, maximizing their strategic positioning. Their clients span the full gamut from growers and producers to retailers.
Did your design originally have the Fetzer logo (bottom left in final design), or was the client concerned that this new approach was too far removed from their core brand, and asked for the logo?
david schuemann: We explored designs both with and without the Fetzer logo. Ultimately we agreed with the client that connecting the new sub-brand to Fetzer would provide the desired halo effect for Fetzer with this new millennial-focused wine.
Some earlier sketches suggest a more elegant, Victorian lettering approach. Why was this rejected?
Our focus became creating a design expression that would attract millennial wine drinkers and still appeal to baby boomers through a 1970s feel.
Did the client request hand lettering, or were other options considered?
The hand lettering was our idea. We presented eight to ten concepts, but this one just felt right. It struck the right balance between a fresh, handcrafted sensibility and a throwback ’70s vibe.
Hand lettering has been a design staple for the last several years. Where do you see what was once thought to be a trend heading in the future?
I guess we never thought of it as a trend. Graphic design has its roots in hand-drawn type and design—in our studio we draw everything before we go to the computer. Sometimes, like on this project, the hand-drawn versions are better or more appropriate than anything we could “clean up” on the computer. I don’t see the human desire for connection with others disappearing, and written language/type is an expression of this desire. The digital age has only amplified this need, and I suppose that’s why hand calligraphy has become so popular in recent years around the world.
product: Fetzer Crimson and Quartz
client: Fetzer
design firm: CF Napa Brand Design
creative director: David Schuemann
design director: Kevin Reeves
designer/hand letterer/illustrator: Dana Deininger
photographer: Tucker & Hossler Photography
medium: Linocut, pencil, and ink
country: United States
A modern but slightly retro type style was created by simulating the richly layered look of silk screen.
