Posted by Katie Breton on under Labels

With summer finally here–though one might not know it from the weather–the folks at Whitlam Group decided to take a look at a couple of the summer themed label campaigns going on.  To someone not familiar with the industry, you might not realize just how much thought and planning go into the decisions made for a product.  Who’s the intended audience?  What age group?  Male or female?  Or both?  Is it strictly short-term or longer-term?  Believe it or not, our customers toil over these questions for months before bringing something to us to print for them.  And if you think the Christmas season is stressful, you should see what summer does to them.  Fortunately, the summer products are often well worth the wait.
The first of two products we thought were worth mentioning is something that no summer party ever seems short of; beer.  Whether at the beach, on the boat or in the backyard, folks are flocking to the supermarkets to pick up a pack to bring with them to share.  So do you shop specifically by brand or what happens to catch your eye?  And if you shop by brand, do you pick something else up because it catches your eye?  Take a look below and see why we’re asking.

Shikatani Lacroix out of Toronto designed nine different summer-themed limited edition bottles for the company.  The thought behind it?  To deliver “a collage of relaxation related imagery such as mountains, lakes, beaches and cottage country.” Not bad, are they?  Now, honestly, if you walked into a store and saw those on the shelf, wouldn’t you be more inclined to pick them up and give them a try over your usual brand or something with a traditional label?
On the flip side and possibly taking a cue from Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh unveiled his Two If By Tea brand of iced tea.  The labels, either blue or red, display what is surely hoped to be a very patriotic, yet somewhat tongue-in-cheek stance.  And while Two If By Tea isn’t available in stores just yet (mail only), they are on the verge of a major media campaign and are proud sponsors of the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation.

Whether a fan or detractor of Rush Limbaugh, it may be difficult to resist the ad line “From Tea to Shining Tea.”
It’s said that one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but then did the covers ever look quite like these labels?  What are your thoughts on these two summer products?  Would you buy them if you saw them in the store?  For that matter, will you buy them?