Concá Vodka Panamericano
Packaging of the Month was taken from an article written by Andrew Gibbs in the October issue of Entrepreneur Magazine.
WHO: Concá Vodka Panamericano is one of the first brands to come out of The Absolut Company’s Innovation Accelerator. Absolut partnered with The Kitchen, a Stockholm-based studio, to design packaging with a bright and vibrant brand identity that would stand out from the crowd of more than 200 vodka brands launched in the U.S. each year.
WHAT: Absolut’s master blender and sensory designer Per Hermansson created Concá as a unique blend of a sugar-cane spirit from Veracruz, Mexico, with pure vodka distilled from American corn. The bottle was modeled after a “timeless” port bottle, according to Andrew O’Sullivan, “growth accelerator” at Absolut. “Even the sound design of the bottle has been considered; the natural cork delivers a friendly ‘popping’ sound that signals the warmth inside the bottle. The bulb in the neck creates an appealing glug, glug, glug sound whilst pouring, reminiscent of the laid-back energy of a good rum or whiskey. All these design thoughts add pleasure to the product experience.” The packaging graphics, meanwhile, are a departure from the typical vodka brand-category cues of red and blue.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Concá defies all established norms of premium-vodka packaging. The dark bottle is a stark contrast to the tall, frosted, “cold” packaging commonly seen, and its shape invites a tactile experience. The bold, intertwined colors of the mark reflect the diversity of the unique Pan-American spirit blend while conveying a sense of warmth, passion, energy and joy that further sets Concá apart and puts it on its way to becoming a category-breaker by design.
ANDREW GIBBS IS EDITOR IN CHIEF OF ONLINE PACKAGING MAGAZINE THE DIELINE and EDITORIAL and CREATIVE DIRECTOR of HOW MAGAZINE.
