Rift Valley

Design: Pauline Capote
Project Type: Student Project
School: Academy of Art University
Course: Packaging
Tutor: Christine George
Location: Hayward, USA
Packaging Contents: Wine
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Glass Bottle
Printing Process: Ink Jet Printing

OBJECTIVE
Redesign an existing wine company’s logo and packaging. It must in some way represent the company’s back-story, culture, and mission. By comparison, their new look should be an enhancement. The label designs need to work as a visual system across a variety of types with different bottle shapes and sizes with a color-coding system. There must be a front, back, and top label that displays the brand and the necessary information. Two varieties must be regularly priced while the third is a high-end version. As a collection, they should look as though they belong to the same family.

APPROACH
The brand selected was Rift Valley, a winery located in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia in East Africa. As a region unknown for their wine, the mission was to bring it up to par with the Italian, French, and Californian wines of the world. Rift Valley is a unique because farmers are constantly warding off wild animals from eating their crops. Hippos, monkeys, and birds are all a part of the ecosystem. Tribal patterns and colors based off the local culture, mixed with primitive illustrations of the wildlife assist in the overall appeal of this wine company and their image.

What’s Unique?
This project is unique because it elevates an East African wine brand by highlighting their culture and ecosystem. The environment itself isn’t one you would normally associate with a wine company. The patterns, animals, and colors are all components that stand out against the competition.