For the 40th anniversary of Grafical, NSG took part in the project ‘We are Forty’ together with three packaging design agencies. The task was to create a celebratory label for a bitter, focusing on the history and personality of Grafical, while highlighting the printer’s technical skills.
The design, the result of collective brainstorming, is inspired by the theme-anecdote ‘From Rags to Riches’: initially, thanks to the entrepreneurial insight of the founding father Andrea Leonardi, the company’s first headquarters were set up in a family-owned stable. With the success of the business, the determination of future generations to continue on the path taken, and a stroke of luck during a transition that was resolved at ‘the stroke of midnight,’ the company found its permanent home in a warehouse. Hence, ‘From Rags to Riches,’ where the symbolic narrative explores the concepts of time and evolution, incorporating elements from the world of bartending and mixology.
The label offers two interpretations, starting with the vertical one that guides the eye from the ice cube, which resembles the shape of a ‘stable,’ up to the upper circle created from a slice of orange, an essential garnish in cocktails, here playing the role of the ‘star.
Shifting to the horizontal view, the eye moves to the product’s name and designation, where the name ‘Amario’ combines ‘Mario’ and ‘Amaro,’ playing with the sound and paying tribute to one of Andrea Leonardi’s brothers: Mario. Finally, the lettering, inspired by the futurist advertising posters of Fortunato Depero, blends a vintage soul with a fresh and modern character thanks to the color contrasts.
The timeless ‘old fashioned’ glass, a key element in the design, incorporates a perforated section that recalls both the shape of a cocktail jigger and an hourglass, the quintessential symbol of the passage of time. The dark brown background of the paper, combined with the light blue lettering, evokes the elegance of Belle Époque bars from the 1920s and the type cases used for movable type.
Enriched with numerous embellishments such as details in four different colored foils, embossing, debossing, nano-engraving, and inserts of screen-printed glossy varnish with Iriodin, the label is designed to be impactful, suitable for a limited edition but also for a marketable product. It is crafted to showcase all the technical capabilities offered, both in the production phase and as a demonstration piece during the celebratory event.
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