JEN GUZMÁN
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
THE BRIEF
Bayou® Rum is an all-American rum distilled in Lacassine, Louisiana. We were tasked with developing gift box concepts that would cater to both Bayou Spiced and Bayou Select. We needed to create an “institutional pack” that would stand out on the shelves or liquor stores and duty free. We needed to hit the mark on the following:
Communicate Premium + Craft: Pack must contain a 75cl of Spiced or Select; must evoke the feel of a premium but approachable gift that consumers will buy for themselves or for others.
Material Exploration: Metal, woodgrain texture, alligator skin, corrugated cardboard, glass.
Additional Highlights: Global projected target of 60,000 units for production (US and ROW). Pricing: $2-$5 per unit.
THE CONCEPTS
We developed a wide range of concepts, inspired by the band’s iconic gator mascot, brand assets, and the culture of Louisiana.
Metal Tin: With Alligator Texture
As part of the first ask, we present the first exploration of a tall metal tin printed with alligator skin texture all over, with a color wash of green, a conservative combination of branding devices, and a splash of the Pirogue seal icon cropped off at the base of the box. An embossed sticker decal is a nice punctuation mark, attaching the lid to the body. With this traditional box, handling and opening the box to get to the product would not be an issue.
Metal Tin: With Alligator Texture
From an all-over green color palette, the agency started developing versions where the green can come in to magnify what we want to - which is largely the alligator. In this version, the body undergoes full embossing of alligator skin texture, and a deboss where the tall bottle label gator logo is, so that printing the details will not be distorted. The lid is additional real estate to put the CTA “Taste The Spirit of Louisiana,” and the sticker decal can help identify that this is a Spiced or a Select bottle pack.
Metal Tin: With Alligator Texture
Still going a step future, the agency feels that reducing the palette to a predominantly dark grey/pewter matte finish, with pops of color, would be more effective in conveying luxury without losing the fun. In these versions, we introduce the brand red and blue in Option 3A, adding more pronounced logo iterations all over the box; while Option 3B, uses the green at the base to highlight the CTA. The graphics can be printed or embossed.
Molded Metal: With Alligator Texture This design is all about making the Bayou® Rum bottle the hero. It’s custom molded, and embossed with the alligator skin texture, and because the wow factor is in the tactile property of the packaging, the color palette used is on the conservative side - applying a flavor color to the SKU identifier on the bottle, and, adding gold medal buttons (embossed detail), to show how decorated Bayou® Rum is. The top part of the box comes off as shown.
Metal: With Woodgrain Texture
With an all over print of woodgrain on tin, punctuated by embossed details in gold, and cool sashes of red and blue bands running around the box -the pack is the love child of premium and craft cues together. This design leverages the elegance of a block of oak wood sitting on the shelf amongother fanciful shapes that read cheap compared to it. The box opens at the back, like an upside-down can of cookies, and holds the bottle within an inner border lip. A window can be cut out of the side of the tin to show a hint of the product.
Metal: With Woodgrain Texture
Another packaging with a unique selling point is this design, which is an atypical interpretation of a 2-piece liquor box. Similar to the shape of the Bayou® Rum bug zapper or the Louisiana lanterns, the modern design is multi-faceted with wood print texture on the bottom, and a sleek metal top printed with the brand blue and red color bands all around the edge. The top comes off easily and acts as a portable low ball glass to enjoy Bayou® Rum in, wherever you want to take the bottle.
Wood: With Metal Fixtures
A balsam wooden lock-box houses the Bayou® Rum bottle, but the way it stands out on the shelf is with the combination of alligator-skin silkscreened wood and brushed steel collars that visually bind the box similar to how a regular wooden crate would. The middle front and back portions of the box are printed with the branding lockup, and the romance story. When you open the box, the lid interior is covered with an establishing shot of the Lacassine distillery, showing the journey from Louisiana to you.
Wood: With Metal Fixtures
Another way to capture the unique duality of Bayou® Rum in terms of premiumness and craft, is by using two different materials in one packaging. This pack breaks off into two parts, with a dominant metal base that houses tha majority of the branding, and the wooden top as a visual reminder of the earthy, organic nature of the product. Angles that belong to the brand narrative inform the graphic treatment and structural makeup of the box, so that consistency is achieved in spite of this being a more premium offering on shelf.
Minimal + Crafty
One of the favorite explorations by the team is this wooden sliding box that is all about craft, but stays sophisticated with its careful use of color and its generous use of graphic etching on every real estate available. A window is cut out of the sliding lid to show the most important part of the bottle, but to as not lose the stature of the hero, there is a silhouette of the bottle “burned” into the wood. The open view shows the Bayou® Rum bottle cushioned by burlap fabric.
Cost Effective with a Bang
One of the more environmentally conscious designs of the agency is this paper board box, with a twine handle. Fully-printed according to the brand guide, this box offers a lot of real estate on which to print. It collapses fully, and opens easily.
Mini Barrel
A wooden barrel that houses the Bayou® Rum bottle, metal and wood, two different materials are used in this packaing. The logo is burned into the wood.
Vintage Flair
Inspired by a vintage camping pot, The metal tin with the handle is sprayed in full color to imitate bronze. The logo is embossed in the front and there is a label to secure the lid.
The Spirit of Louisiana
The bottle is inside the Louisiana Lantern. It’s made up of metal with the glass, showing the full branding from bottle
The Spirit of Louisiana
Bayou® Rum is encased in the molded metal trumbone case. When you open up the case, the bottle is placed inside the foam.