Design agency Vault49 has revealed a new packaging design for Sol, elevating the beer brand's sun symbol as "a vibrant beacon for positivity". Designed for global markets, the new packaging design was crafted entirely by hand to create a more authentic, premium aesthetic.
The agency was inspired by "the energetic confidence of work handcrafted by Mexican artisans". According to Sam Wilkes, creative director at Vault49, natural pigments and textures were chosen "to elevate the human nature of the designs". Indeed, strong packaging can communicate a lot about a product – evident in our round-up of the best packaging designs.
(Image credit: Vault49)
We're fans of Sol's new, handcrafted look, particularly in the painterly texture of the sun's rays. These were made using a hand cut lino print inspired by what the agency learned about "artisanal saddle making". It all sounds very, well, artisanal, but when viewed against Sol's recent US rebrand (by Chicago-based agency Soulsight) in 2018, Vault49's packaging looks pretty similar:
Sol's 2018 US rebrand (left) and new packaging by Vault49 (right) (Image credit: Sol/Future Owns)
Aside from the warmer colours and more textured sun rays, Vault49's packaging doesn't look a whole lot different to Soulsight's. Still, this isn't being touted as a redesign so we can't knock one for looking like the other. Also, a closer look at the new packing reveals a few more differences, such as the design of individual bottles:
Sol's US bottle design (left) and the new global design (right) (Image credit: Sol)
That's more like it – the sun is definitely more emphasised in the newer bottle design as the frame is removed. It just about puts us in the mood for, as Vault49 puts it, some "sunny urban adventures".
We're certainly fans of the new, textured look, but hearing how much effort was put into creating the individual assets by hand (saddle-making course, anyone?), we can't help but wish that Vault49 had been able to depart from the pre-existing design a little more adventurously.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
