THE PROBLEM
The current bottle design for Sauza tequila doesn’t do much to make them stand out from other tequilas that are available. Sauza has an amazing history that shows the craftsmanship and pride of the Mexican people that isn’t particularly being reflected today. Even though Sauza is the second oldest tequila on the market, their current packaging doesn’t entice the consumer to learn more about them as a brand.
THE SOLUTION
The main goal is to create a Dia De Muertos inspired tequila bottle and package design that sets Sauza Tequila apart from other brands. I want to honor the colorful history and traditions of Mexico and Sauza tequila in a way that makes them stand out to the consumer while enticing them learn more about the brand and culture.
Dia De Muertos is a centuries old Mexican holiday in which the spirits of loved ones are reunited with their living families during celebrations of life and remembrance
THE RESEARCH
A big part of this project was doing research on several different topics including the Sauza brand and Día De Muertos. This research gave me an incredible groundwork to guide my designs and give every element meaning. A lot of that research was reflected in my moodboard as I tried to capture the bright and colorful spirit of Día De Muertos that would help Sauza stand out from other tequila brands.
THE DESIGNS
Package Design
The front of my package design features La Catrina, a satrical sketch drawn by the famous Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada in the 1910’s. Today she has become a symbol of pride in our culture and straying true to who you. For most of the packaging I used a dark purple color so that my illustration would stand out on the front and made a subtle floral background pattern that matched the flowers on my bottle design.
Sugar Skull Bottle
To help Sauza stand out from other brands I wanted to create a sugar skull designed bottle for their tequila. While other brands have done a sugar skull bottle, they were just limited edition pieces.While some of the design were already planned in order to tie back to other pieces, this sugar skull bottle was largely freehand since true decorative and candied sugar skulls are made the same way in Mexico.
Ofrenda Candles
During Dia De Muertos, candles play a significant role in helping to guide the spirits of our loved ones to the ofrenda where they can collect the offerings for them. For these candle designs there was two key elements that I wanted to include, alebrijes and papel picado. Both of these items embody the bright and colorful spirit of Dia De Muertos, showing it's not an occasion for mourning but one of celebration.
Poster Card
Sometimes when brands create an beautifully designed package, the consumer wants to keep it but doesn't want to store it so this card represents the important factors of the package design that a consumer can hang onto. The card features the La Catrina illustration that is shown on the front of my packaging while the back has a story with more information about the some of the elements I’ve used throughout this project.
LEARNINGS
The biggest thing this project has taught me is that roots are important in two ways: supporting and researching them. Every single piece in this project had some element that was done completely by hand and they’ve each helped me improve skills that haven’t been used in awhile support my creative foundation.
Additionally the research I did not only helped me feel more connected to my culture, it also gave me an incredible groundwork to guide my designs. There was much I didn’t know about Sauza and Dia De Muertos that without spending time digging into them, I wouldn’t have been able to give this project true meaning.
At the end, this project was not only a way for me to challenge what I thought I was capable of as a designer but also reminded me how lucky I am to be apart of such an amazing culture.