Welcome to Casatera And Explore Mexican Architecture
by Chloe Gordon on 01/14/2022 | 3 Minute Read
Deriving from casa, meaning ‘house’ or ‘home’, and tierra, Spanish for ‘ground’ or ‘land’, the brand name was our creative springboard. We started to think of the brand as the ‘House of Tequila’; a warm and inviting social space connected to the land, a place where everyone is invited to join in and share the experience.
Exploring Mexican architecture, we found a recurring theme in the use of archways, and how arched doorways welcome people in to explore and connect with others in their homes. Our design idea for Casatera is rooted in viewing these traditional architectural shapes and forms through a contemporary lens.
In the alcoholic drinks market, RTDs (ready-to-drink formats) are booming, and premium tequila is having a moment. Developed by two entrepreneurs, new RTD brand Casatera seized upon an untapped opportunity at the intersection of these two key trends. Vault49’s role was to partner with them to build the brand story from the ground up, setting Casatera up to compete in a fast-growing, competitive category. Our solution was all about building meaning, authenticity and craft into this new brand.
Our ownable archway key brand asset is the focal point for our clean and simple pack architecture, welcoming people into the casa of Casatera. It is also a prominent feature of our wordmark lockup - hand-drawn by our in-house team, you’ll find the gentle curves of the arch incorporated within the letterforms of our bespoke Casatera typeface.
This plant also inspired our color palette. We chose a distinctive ‘agave blue’ as the primary brand color, which immediately sets Casatera apart from other tequila-based products. With our bold and confident application of this blue across the packaging, the cans and outers deliver real impact in both retail settings and behind the bar. To add warmth, we chose a complementary copper color for the wordmark. With its metallic finish on pack, this premium design cue brings an extra touch of specialness and tactility, inviting people to pick up a can.
There are extra visual references to the arch to be found elsewhere on the packaging, such as communicating the different flavor variants.
In the broader suite of visual identity assets, we’ve included black and white tile patterns to work in harmony with the blue and copper of the packaging across key visuals and comms. We’ve also set an ownable photography style to hero the product and packaging, incorporating real pieces of fruit to communicate flavor profiles. Plant shadows add depth and texture to the imagery, reconnecting the brand back to the tierra once again. A set of key visuals, suite of social media assets, and inspiration for future activations and promotional materials as the brand grows complete the package.
Every single element of our branding and packaging has been designed with meaning and unique creative flair, matching the care and craft that goes into creating the drinks themselves. Casatera can now confidently own the premium tequila-based RTD space, standing out from the crowd and connecting with a broad audience of discerning drinkers.
A strong and positive symbol in Mexican culture, hummingbirds are also part of the Tequila- making process. Creating a second key brand asset to feature prominently on the packaging, our hummingbird illustration represents their role in pollination and giving life to agave plants. Turn it upside down and it transforms into a blue agave plant; the base ingredient for Tequila, and the heart of Casatera.
- Designed By: Vault49