Typically, the focus of a wine brand is on the name, the bottle, the label design, and the back label, which includes information about grape varieties, terroir, notes about the wine (appearance, aroma, flavour) and, sometimes, pairing. Once this is done, the brand creation process is over, and communication starts. However, Symington Family Estates wanted to sell this wine to a new millennial audience, instead of the traditional wine-loving over-40 target. The goal was to reach a new generation of explorers & wine lovers. When you want different results, you need different methods. Thus, Wonder\Why branding agency developed the creative process in a different way: as if we were creating a Netflix series. This time, no grapes, terroir or tradition would be evoked.

Methodology: Strategy determined we should create a scenic name for the wine brand (“Bom Malandro”, transl. cheeky rascal); the name led us to the ‘hero’ (squirrel); the ‘hero’ to the secondary characters (gang of animals native to the Douro valley); the gang led us to the storytelling (they steal grapes to make wine and feast); storytelling determined the brand voice (fables); the brand voice allowed us to define the tone of voice, and this one led us to the backstories of each character (6 in total).
From this brand-building universe, all touchpoints were then created, making sure everything was consistent.
The storytelling would be illustrated on the label of both the red and white wine. The white wine would show the gang stealing grapes; the red would show the gang running from the “crime scene” led by the squirrel. The story would continue to play out throughout various media: back label, shipping cases, packaging, gift case, website, launch party event, social media, and more.

Brand Concept: The concept of this project was to take the Bom Malandro name on itself and design the label as a cover of an imaginary pocket book with practical lessons; a sort of survival guide of how to be a rascal in the winery of the Douro valley. Design ID: The identity was idealised to project a certain look from the literature golden age, where books were carefully bound and covers were typographically rich and lush. The logo had to have this balance and tension of vintage yet contemporary. Typographic fonts were chosen to reinforce this duality of old and new.

Illustration: The same approach was taken for the illustrations and its characters. The rascal and his gang were conceived as characters of some La Fontaine fable. Different autochthonous animals from the valley with different trades and crime specialities and names alluding to a gang-style bunch. Albeit a gang, the Bom Malandro is led by the Esquilo Esquiloso (a squirrel) – a very mischievous little guy with a provocateur attitude. To dramatize the brand’s creative vision, we recruited renowned Spanish illustrator Luis Mendo, based in Tokyo, who drew the two emblematic scenes for the story: the “grape theft” (white wine label) and the escape from the “crime scene” (red wine label).

Colours: In terms of colours, Bom Malandro leans on more natural pigments, reflecting a bit of the landscape of the Douro Valley itself.
Back Label: To expand the brand backstory and give a peek at what this practical guide actually teaches, the back label is used to feature a short lesson and our characters.
Brand philosophy: In an age of political correctness like today, to live a good life one needs a dose of (good) trickery, a quality which is activated when we’re sitting at the table with friends, holding a glass of wine.