Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/297564
W i n e s & V i n e s M AY 2 0 1 4 39 Interestingly, he commented, "The larger the brand, generally the smaller the changes that can be made responsibly. For other cases where the market conditions/ results require more drastic action, more aggressive changes are often requested." Obviously, there can be certain advan- tages to a house look. "The primary dif- ference between a redesign and a brand new design is that the canvas we get to work on tends to have more components already in place that are deemed to be core to the integrity of the design versus a new design, where the canvas is less defined." But, he added, "We find that there are usually more sacred cows when approaching a re-design versus a com- S tarting with the 2012 vintage, the labels of Hahn SLH Pinot Noir and Hahn SLH Chardonnay will promote the Santa Lucia Highlands appel- lation, where the wines are grown," according to Joshua Cairns, direc- tor of marketing. He termed the packaging change "bold and elegant," with the initials "SLH" the predominant feature. "The driving factor of the redesign was to visually differentiate our Hahn Winery tier (our core tier) from our Hahn SLH tier," he said. Clear difference in appellation and price point were not readily apparent prior to the redesign, Cairns said. "Growers and winemakers in the Santa Lucia Highlands have earned recognition for producing exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We wanted to emphasize the appellation," Cairns said. The design brief outlined several key objectives. "We wanted to create a brand package for the Hahn SLH tier that was distinct from the Hahn Winery tier. At the same time, we wanted to make a connection between the new Hahn SLH tier packaging and the Hahn Family Wines corporate identity, specifically by using the current rooster icon in a non-red color. (Hahn means "rooster" in German.) Also, we wanted to create a brand identity for the SLH tier that showcased the quality of wine within the bottle. "Finally, we wanted the design of the Hahn SLH tier package to help raise awareness of the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation. To most con- sumers, this AVA is a still a hidden wine-producing gem. We wanted to increase the profile of the area as a whole and spread the word that Santa Lucia Highlands produces top-notch Pinot Noir," Cairns explained. Cairns drafted the initial creative brief, won approval from the rest of the winery team and presented it to design firm CF Napa, with which Hahn has worked for a decade. Despite lots of consultation, there were no subsequent changes to the brief. In the language of redesign, "evolution vs. revolution" is a con- sistent differentiation. "The Hahn SLH tier straddles that line and strikes a balance between evolution and revolution. There are evolutionary elements—like the rooster icon—that tie the Hahn SLH tier to the Hahn Family Wines corporate brand. Then there are revolutionary changes—the prominent "SLH" initials—that give the Hahn SLH tier a distinct identity," Cairns said. Again, more than the label can be changed. "In addition to the label, we also changed the capsules. We added the SLH word mark on the top of the capsule to emphasize the tier. We also changed the capsules' colors. Previously, the capsules on both the Hahn SLH Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were black. Now, the capsules (from Amcor) are a rich burgundy and gold, respectively. We made this change specifically with our on-premise accounts in mind." Hahn SLH is primarily sold on-premise, according to Cairns. "With the previous black capsules, it was impossible to identify the Hahn SLH Pinot Noir versus the Hahn SLH Chardonnay—if the bottles were stored properly—without pulling out the bottle (from a wine rack). Now, it's effort- less to differentiate between the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Simply look at the top for "SLH" and then pick the wine based on the capsule color." The entire rebranding process took some seven months, "which fell in line with my expectations," Cairns said. Press checks of the design and materials are vital, he emphasized. "The new labels have a foil component, which we selected based on a series of foil swatches. But when we looked at the printed labels at the press check, the foil didn't match up with our expectations based on the swatches we saw earlier in the process. It's like picking a paint swatch at Home Depot and realizing the color isn't what we'd envisioned on the wall—same con- cept," he said. With the entire team—Hahn, CF Napa, label supplier WS Packaging—on hand at the press check, we were able to work through and resolve the issue. Whether you're including foil, using special die cuts or simply re-printing a label, the press check is the last stop before the point of no return." Hahn has received an overwhelmingly favorable reaction to the new design. "What I hear consistently is that the quality of the package showcases the quality of the wine in the bottle. That's the best compliment we could receive," Cairns said. Lessons learned, per Cairns: "Make sure there's a reason behind the rebranding. It's a mis- take to make a branding change on a whim. "Don't rush into a rebrand- ing project just because you or your staff thinks a look is old or tired. You look at your brands every day and have a very different perspective than the outside world. Know what your consumers and trade partners think about the look. Your consumers might love it. When you change it, you lose all that brand equity. Change for the sake of change is not the route to go." i MAKe SURe THeRe'S A ReASON Hahn Family Wines of Soledad, Calif. (400,000 cases) In the language of redesign "evolution vs. revolution" is a consistent differentiation. Hahn Family Wines sought design help to rework its old packaging (left) in a way that highlighted its Santa Lucia Highlands wines (right). C O V E R S T O R Y