Food and beverage packaging has come a long way since the only material you could expect your groceries to come wrapped in was different forms of plastic. The world has opened its eyes to the effects that plastic has on the environment and has become a lot more eco-conscious as a result. There have been some great innovations in the world of packaging in the last few years but one example that really stands out for us is the box and bottle designs from Jack Black Brewing Co., a microbrewery that creates craft beer in Cape Town, South Africa.
The story behind the design
Jack Black was established by partners Ross and Meghan McCulloch in 2007, after discovering a taste for craft beer while travelling North America. They started the craft-beer brewery in South Africa at a time when very little was known of it and set out to change the craft beer landscape in the country.
This pioneering and exploratory attitude is encapsulated in the imagery on each bottle and box - each style of beer represented by a different graphic, from a map of the Skeleton Coast in Namibia on the Skeleton Coast IPA to an avant-garde skeleton lumberjack on the Lumberjack Amber Ale and two butcher knives surrounding the name on the Butcher Block Pale Ale.
Each package is also distinctly South African, representing the beer’s birthplace. The Cape Pale Ale features an illustration of Table Mountain, surrounded by an arid landscape featuring animal skulls and fynbos and the Atlantic Weiss contains an image of the wild Atlantic Ocean.
As a result of the combination of the use of quality, natural ingredients and the striking packaging, Jack Black beer has gained a reputation as one of the best-loved craft beers in the country. Each label is intricate yet has a laid-back, grungy feel to it with the use of monotones and minimally used splashes of colour that make a statement.
When describing the brand’s nostalgic feel, Jack Black co-founder, Robert McCulloch, says they “wanted to create a label that would remind people of the pre-Prohibition era”.
Image: Jack Black Brewing Co
Jack Black beer bottle, can and box design
The eye-catching designs emblazoned on each bottle were created by UK-based graphic designer, Daniel Goodman.
The designs represent the simplicity and quality that has come to be associated with Jack Black beer. Unlike your average beer or cider label, the design is either silkscreened onto the glass bottle, resting a seamless effect, or printed onto recyclable paper labels. The packaging design is as pleasing to the eye as the beer is to the palate.
This year, the brewery also introduced cans to the mix. You can now get the same beer in easily chillable tin cans that are recyclable and easy to transport and are held together with a recyclable 6-pack clip. The brewery also encourages customers to return their gently-used beer-can clips to them, ensuring an even longer lifespan.
Jack Black’s box packaging design is just as innovative as their bottle and can design. In 2019, the company replaced the plastic wrap of their 4- and 6-packs to their current cardboard box packaging. Each box uses a different colour, in addition to the signature black and white, in its design. Either red, blue, green or orange is used to distinguish each beer style. Making it easy to tell which beer is which at a glance.
But, although the presentation is great, it’s not just another pretty face - there’s added functionality to the beer’s aesthetically pleasing exterior. Each heavy-duty 12-pack cardboard case features punch out handles, making for easy transport to your next braai or party, and, there’s no more reaching for box cutters or knives because opening the pack is super simple as well, with it’s pop-out window, designed for easy access when stored.
Why is packaging design so important and how can you build brand awareness through custom box packaging?
Just like it’s beer bottles, Jack Black’s box design is plastic-free and features the same distinctive design elements displayed on each bottle, beautifully tying everything together.
Packaging can be a great way to create and build on brand awareness if done the right way. Investing in a good graphic designer and making sure you use sustainable materials -and environmentally-friendly methods can leave a lasting impression on even the most un brand-conscious consumers.
Jack Black does this well because it’s designs are distinctive enough to be easily recognisable yet are eye-catching and unique enough to distinguish themselves from mass-produced beer brands, as well as other popular local craft beer brands.
Jack Black also recently collaborated with Johannesburg-based graphic designer, Elio Moavero to create a custom label and box design for a limited-edition release called Wolves of Winter. Moavero took inspiration from the other Jack Black designs to stay on-brand while including a unique, rock-’n-roll” element to the limited-edition release. This illustrates another thing that Jack Black does well, remaining consistent with their brand voice.
How and where can you create custom box packaging for your business?
Remata Communications and Printers has been proudly meeting customers' custom-printing demands for decades. We fuse digital marketing strategies with printing solutions to provide an all-around printing and communication solution based on each client’s unique needs.
With our design and layout services, we’ll be able to provide you with cutting-edge design solutions to make your brand stand out, while our Web2Print service ensures that all your brand collateral is stored in one easy-to-access place, making reprints a breeze. Our products and services are at the leading edge of technology to guarantee that we provide the very best to our customers so that they can stay ahead in this fast-evolving world.
If you're looking to get started on a custom packaging design, then please click here to get in touch. We'd love to see how we can help you.
