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Studio Spotlight: Fanakalo

by Diane Lindquist on 11/26/2013 | 4 Minute Read

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Fanakalo was started with the selected group who wanted to work for themselves.

"We certainly never sat around a table and drew up an ethos or mission statement. It has probably been in our design genes to rebel against the idea that a wine label positioned at a cheap price point needs to need to look cheap. We reckon most of our strength in getting our little company off the ground has been rooted in creating wine labels and brands in cheaper price points that don't simply adhere to 'cheap & cheerful', but are brands and designs with integrity, that tell an authentic story in order to be competitive brands within probably the most extreme of competitive price-points. We are not easily sold on a marketing gimmick and we don't attach much credibility to advertising, so we always believe that product design is the most integral part of telling the story of any brand." 

They trusted their instincts and went with their gut and it has worked out. They have grown to become an example that doing amazing design can lead to greatness.

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All projects below are designed by Fanakalo, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Riebeek Cellars

Swartland being the main focus, Riebeek Kasteel town and mountain was made to be the stars of the new Riebeek Cellars labels. The typography was then brought in to be more suited to the illustration.

An old etch illustration style is paired with bright colours to draw attention on the shelf whilst also retaining the sense of gravitas. In the back, a ship sailing past Table Mountain emphasises the name Riebeek's origins. The new labels do away with black backgrounds and high glossy finish, to be more earthy and draw more attention on a shelf environment.

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Steenbok

The second release from De Kleine Wijn Koöp. (Only 270 bottles available.)

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Chevalleries Filia

"Filia" - meaning daughter in Latin, is a culmination of a life long passion for the Paardeberg. The Paardeberg (or horse mountain) was named by the first European settlers to the Swartland, due to the abundance of Quaggas (Cape Mountain Zebra) that roamed its fynbos thicket covered granite slopes. Situated in the Swartland, with its verdant rolling wheat fields, its ancient soils hold a treasure trove of old bush vines.

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Fram

Fram's mission is to sail into uncharted waters, to boldly search for whatever great grapes lie behind the next hill, over the next horizon. Bringing great wines from the Here Be Dragons areas of the wine map. With an extremely shaky captain like Thinus Krüger at the helm, this can only be an exciting journey!

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Sequilla

We often want to associate wine with good moments and good news, but the wine world is a people world and the 2013 labels was born in a year of political and economical unrest in its land.

We made the winemaker the predominant figure and worked in an almost woodcut style of linework to create artworks set off against the dramatic backdrop colours.

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Barcodes

Fanakalo has been known to design their own barcodes to their packaging projects, here are selected few they wanted to share.

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