In 2012, brothers Chris and Brandon Matthies launched Sonoma Brothers Distilling, an artisan distillery that focuses on crafting handmade spirits and liquors in small batches. They encountered some early success, but recently turned to CF Napa Brand Design to redesign the packaging to better communicate the brand story and quality of craftsmanship in each bottle.
Facing an increasingly competitive market, the Matthies brothers wanted a branding solution that would immediately tell buyers about their unique product made with small batch quality. The new look clearly expresses a premium brand, with fine details and gold foil that makes the label pop. Each spirit has its own unique color palette that appeals to a more traditional side of the spirits business—a refreshing blue for the gin or a rusty orange for the whiskey, for example. The spirits express a deep respect for the distilling process while still expressing the high quality of each product.
“CF Napa incorporated a nostalgic, turn of the century look to give the brand an authentic, and genuinely Sonoma craft feel. It was important to ensure that the new designed looked premium, and small batch, yet approachable and inviting to the consumer. CF Napa adjusted the label hierarchy to make the brand name ‘Sonoma Brothers Distilling’ the primary read, allowing for greater readability from behind a bar or on the retail shelf.”
“To give the brand a more proprietary look, we removed the barrel icon which didn’t have a strong tie to the product, the distillers, or the brand position, and instead incorporated an illustration of the two brothers, which better communicates the core of the brand story. Intricate detailing and gold foil treatment elevate the quality perception and communicates the detailed care that goes into the product itself, while a color system differentiates product SKUs, allowing for better product identification with the target consumer.”
