ELIXIR

Design name: ELIXIR

ELIXIR refers to a liquid substance once believed to possess magical or healing properties, often associated with immortality or miraculous healing.

In a broader sense, an ELIXIR is considered the quintessence of something: a concentrated extract that represents the purest essence of a thing.

The project emerged within the evolution of Casillero del Diablo, one of Chile’s most iconic wine brands. The challenge was to create a product called ELIXIR that would embody the essence, history, mystery, and global recognition of Casillero del Diablo. Rather than a conventional mass-market product, it was conceived as an icon at the heart of one of the six thematic areas of Concha y Toro’s new Wine Center. Located within the Casillero del Diablo museum, this icon contributes to positioning the winery and Chile on the global wine tourism map, bringing together heritage, art, technology, wine, and gastronomy.

ELIXIR is a 20-year-aged fortified wine* created by Marcelo Papa, one of the most important and respected figures in Chilean winemaking.

The main challenge was to design packaging that could serve as a central exhibition piece, capable of representing the brand’s history while appealing to an exclusive and global audience.

Consumer interaction with the product was a key factor. ELIXIR would be sold exclusively at the Viña Concha y Toro tasting room in Pirque, where visitors could choose between purchasing a bottle or tasting it by the glass. This influenced the design direction, which needed to create an experience of exclusivity and prestige, reinforcing the product’s value as a carefully guarded treasure.

The central concept behind ELIXIR is built around time, mystery, and sophistication. A 20-year-aged fortified wine guarded by the Devil, as told in the original Casillero del Diablo Reserva legend. The design strategy was to connect this new product with the brand’s legacy, creating an icon that evokes the legendary essence of Casillero del Diablo.

More than 130 years ago, Don Melchor de Casa Concha y Toro set aside a selection of his finest wines. To keep strangers away from his cellar, he spread the rumor that the Devil lived there. Hence its name: Casillero del Diablo.”

The creative reasoning centered on the idea of giving the bottle an aged appearance, evoking the image of a rare and valuable treasure recovered from the depths of the sea, carrying a long history of its own. To achieve this, the brand’s history dating back to 1963 was researched, bringing back the emblematic red ribbon from its early days. This detail became the key element connecting the brand’s past with its present, giving ELIXIR an identity rooted in time and in its own history.

The “X” in the ELIXIR wordmark responds to the most distinctive letter in the name. It also functions as the Devil’s signature—or mark—a distinctive seal symbolizing his presence and authorship.