Sunday, March 22, 2009

Label Options

So we are gearing up to bottle our newest addition to the Prime Family...Chardonnay (only about 100 cases, due out in Summer 2009!). We were playing around with color schemes and these are the finalists. The yellow color will be more of a gold to match the foil if we can pull it off. The chardonnay bottle will be about the same color as the one we used for Prime Cabernet. Let us know if you have a preference to one label over the other, we are interested to know.

Option 1


Option 2

36 comments:

Chasing Travel said...

I like the second one.

MW said...

Gold is so tricky. It drives me crazy when I see yellow printed on white and you can't read it because the yellow is too pale. However, if you're doing yellow on gray you can get the same effect. It all comes down to contrast. Are these Pantone spot colors? I like the second one as well, just get a swatch book and make sure your gray and yellow have enough contrast. End of print nerd rant. :)

Justin, Brenda & Lola said...

Regardless of which you choose, I know you'll be able to make the label read-able; I've seen your work. However, I prefer option 1.

Can't wait to taste it!

Anonymous said...

Option 2!

Anonymous said...

I prefer the second one ... it's easier on the eyes and the colors have a better effect when they are a bit muted. I think the white is too bright. But I also realize that things look differently when they are printed on whatever paper you have selected ... Nice design!

megan said...

2!

Unknown said...

I vote for #2 as well. I love yellow against gray. But you guys could scrawl the label on with a crayon and I'd still buy it and enjoy every drop!

Anonymous said...

Option 1 looks like a winner to me :-)

Best of luck to you guys on the new release!

Anonymous said...

Option one. The "Prime" pops more. But that's just my opinion.

Best thing to do is print them both out (ideally on label stock), paste them on bottles and go down to the local market (one with lots of bottles on the shelf - e.g. Molsberry Market in Santa Rosa), and see which one stands out the most from the crowd of Chardonnays on display. Don't have an opinion, have data!

And if they truly both suck, start over. The attractiveness and recognition factor of your label is one of the most powerful tools you have to sell your wine.

Just like winery Web sites tend to all have nice pictures of vineyards, most wine labels tend to be remarkably similar.

Rufus the Cat said...

I like Option 2. I think gold on white will not look so good. And if you can do what Mike D suggested, data is always good.

Anonymous said...

Option 1!

Anonymous said...

I like # 2 and so did my co-workers. Ted, nice blog! We just started one @ De Loach, so it is nice to have examples to look at (steal)I will see you @ the Porto reunion on April 24th, Rob C.

Anonymous said...

Gotta go with Option #2.

Anonymous said...

option 1!

Anonymous said...

Option 1 looks best to me.

Unknown said...

Hmmmm....I honestly like both. The first one is my favorite, but it is hard to read the yellow on white.

Nancy said...

I like #2, but I will ask Max and Emma in the morning to see what they think. Why don't Tanner and Payton decide for you.

Unknown said...

My vote is for #2. Though I think the yellow/gold doesn't stand out as well as the red on the white background.

WalshSB said...

Second one!
Miss you.

Anonymous said...

option 2 looks great! and very happy!

Jeff C said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I like #1 for the Chardonnay label as it is sort of the reverse of the Cabernet label and gives it more distinction.

Jeff C said...

If I had to guess, I would say people are picking Option #2 because it is more readable. In that respect, I agree with print nerd Melissa: yellow text on white background is an impossible combination. But I like the IDEA of Option #1 better. Because it is the inverse of the Cab label (has a white logo, instead of black), it seems to imply that this is the "white" version of your wine, which it is. It has a cleaner, fresher feel than #2.

Anonymous said...

I like option 1.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps I should say why. I think the word "Prime" stands out far better on option 1. It really grabs my attention. And I like that it's the inverse of the cab label.

Kip Kennedy said...

Option 1. I like the inverse, and to be consistent you should also call the Chard "Composite" instead of "Prime". Hehe.

Anonymous said...

I like the fact the "math nerds" and "print nerds" have come out to comment. These are great comments, thanks to everyone!

Anonymous said...

Now that you have a second wine, you need to consider how they "family." Traditionally, labels with dark borders (or labels that are predominantly dark) are for red wines and vice-versa for white wines. Which is to say, your Cabernet should have Option 1 and your Chardonnay option 2.

Maybe what is done traditionally is of no interest to you. That's perfectly fine. The larger question is: What are you trying to communicate? If by "Prime" you are trying to suggest a certain level of quality, then neither label does the trick. Your wine club name plays off of prime numbers. If that's the direction, these labels don't seem to follow.

If Prime is more than a hobby and you anticipate making more wine and seeking wider distribution, you need a tighter story. One that is reflected in your label.

Unknown said...

I like #1 as well. Taking Jeff's comment a bit further, The Chard bottle when filled is going to be a light(er) color so with option #1 you have a contrast of light bottle/dark border/light panel. That would be the inverse of the Cab (dark/light/dark). Option #2 gives you a light bottle/light border dark panel which may look a bit weird.

Science nerds represent.

Jeff C said...

Okay. As with many things, a mockup is always a good idea. Does this change anyone's mind? It changes mine, for sure. It turns out that the label itself looks dirty in #1, even though the logo is brighter. Where did the grey color come from? Is that up for debate? Really, I think you should have people hand-paint the white stripe on the bottles. Ooh, and then you can have hand-dipped wax capsules. And sign each bottle...

Marnie said...

I keep changing my mind, but at the moment I vote for #2. Hard to tell without seeing it on the bottle tho'!

Unknown said...

Like the dark with white writing because I'm pulled to the word, but mostly to what is inside.

Maureen Theunissen said...

I like option 2. I would make chardonnay bigger and bolder so that you can see the yellow. I think you want it to pop and be really readable! Good luck with the lastest wine!
Can't wait to try it!

Anonymous said...

Option one is a faster pull in my book! The label on the bottle to the left has red in it and I think if you swap the red for the yellow, you have a winner!

Ted said...

Thank you to all for the great comments! We are going over the suggestions (and artwork-thanks Jeff) and tweaking the colors to see what looks best on the bottle. We will post the result ASAP.

Heather Olah said...

I'm a little late in the game here, but I like option 1 because it's kind of the opposite of the cabernet label, as long as the Napa Valley is readable in gold. But they're both great, so you can't go wrong!