Image Credit : David Fritz Goeppinger + Doris Poe, Charles Roussel
Project Overview
Southern France’s seasides, sunsets, and apéros (short for apéritif) packed into a bottle. Or three!
Souleil offers a wine for every palate: white, red, and rosé! With a soulful design and a non-profit commitment to funding frequent beach clean-ups, Souleil is irresistible in theory and in practice.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Founder & Creative Director: Anna Polonsky
Graphic Design & Illustration: Claire Dufournier
Photo Credits: David Fritz Goeppinger + Doris Poe, Charles Roussel
Typography: Greta Sans Extended from Design Studio Typothèque
Project Brief
Souleil Vin de Bonté – our brief was encapsulated within the brand’s name. Souleil means “sun” in ancient French and Bonté means “goodness”. The nostalgic, sun-washed, and unapologetically French vibe our clients [Marianne Fabre-Lanvin and Thomas Delaude] wanted to emulate through their wine brand is very authentic to them, as they both grew up on the French Coast in the ’70s and ’80s.
Our label designs drew inspiration from 20th-century graphic masterpieces, from Southern French Eau de Cologne labels to iconic travel posters. Each label features a sun in different settings with palettes that align with the wine’s color.
Our abstract pastel drawings, created in-house, cropped in a circular frame and paired with a timeless sans-serif font bring a contemporary touch to our vintage inspirations.
Project Innovation/Need
On top of their Mediterranean flavor profile, thoughtful production, and attractive price point (all three bottles are under $20), Souleil wines are incredibly versatile: they can please connoisseurs and spark the interest of initiates.
All three wines are organic and vegan, but they are not biodynamic or natural wines - these gain traction and tend to be visually more youthful.
Our mission was to bring visual novelty to the non-natural wine market, while hinting at the organic process, by designing bottles that are visually compelling enough to gift (even better as a trio!), or flaunt on your dinner table with pride.
Design Challenge
From the naming process, which we were involved in, to every last detail of wording and design, we strived for Souleil’s brand to remain very French, without being cliché or alienating to anyone overseas.
We worked hard to align our goals of clarity and accessibility with our aesthetic aspirations for the brand.
Effectiveness
In a matter of months, Souleil's distribution spans from Europe (France, Belgium, and Spain) to the US and Australia. Soleil will soon be in the UK, and Mauritius too!
Souleil can be picked up in thoughtfully curated wine stores (Convive Wine & Spiritis for our New Yorkers!) and enjoyed in various restaurants.
Souleil was featured in Eater, AIGA’s Eye on Design, The New York Times/T Magazine, Bloomberg Weekly, Cool Hunting, Marie Claire, Condé Nast Traveler, Cosmopolitan and more.
Graphic Design - Identity and Branding
This award celebrates creative and innovative design in the traditional or digital visual representation of ideas and messages. Consideration given to clarity of communication and the matching information style to audience.
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