November 2022
Capturing the natural vibrancy of the rum, as well as the lush wilderness of tropical North Queensland, was key to creating the Burdekin Rum brand identity and packaging. Drawing upon the spectacular flora and fauna of the local area surrounding the distillery, the packaging of the rum is as lush as the liquid. Burdekin Rum launched November 2022.
November 2022
Having recently joined our Denomination London team is the talented Sarah Burns as Senior Account Director. Sarah has been working in drinks and innovation throughout her career, most recently on the Diageo, Heineken, Pladis and Henkel accounts. She has quickly immersed herself in our London studio and across our UK and European clients, and we are loving her energy and smarts.
November 2022
Tread Softly by Fourth Wave Wine is proudly celebrating one million trees planted to create a native forest from reclaimed agricultural land in the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor in Australia. We loved working on this special Tread Softly limited edition – our joyful design delights in the forest’s now thriving ecosystem and the return of native species not seen for decades.
November 2022
Thanks to Global Drinks Intel for featuring Denomination Strategy Director and Sustainability Lead Mariella Menato in the latest issue ‘Smart and Sustainable’. With every carton, label, can and plastic bottle posing a threat to the environment and to our health, it’s imperative that we work collectively to reduce carbon and toxicity in drinks packaging.
November 2022
Four Stones is named after the four members of celebrity chef Curtis Stone’s family, with each member represented by a distinct stone shape and texture. The bold, clean graphics ensure clear pop on the TV screen, where Curtis can be found selling Four Stones on HSN. Great to work with Vintage Wine Estates and Curtis Stone on this lovely brief.
October 2022
A unique collaboration between two iconic heritage brands of both Australia and the Hunter Valley: Tyrrell’s Wines and Mount Pleasant. This wine celebrates two of the Hunter’s most historic vineyards: Tyrrell’s NVC Shiraz and Mount Pleasant’s Old Hill Pinot Noir – both planted in 1921. It’s rare that two of our clients come together to form a collaboration like this, and we were honoured to partner them in the design of this rare release of just 2,000 bottles.
October 2022
Sophia Longhi interviewed our CEO Rowena Curlewis on her weekly Instagram live ‘Wednesday Wine Women’. Rewatch the conversation via Sophia’s Instagram channel @skinandpulp to hear about Rowena’s experience running a global drinks design agency:
October 2022
A sensitive move-on to add premiumness and an extra oomph to the iconic Mumm brand, along with the welcome addition of a Tasmanian Cuvée.
October 2022
Spotlight to our recent project with Winesmiths Organic Collection, where every element of the brand and packaging has been designed with a healthy environment in mind. The packaging has just 13% the carbon footprint of bottled wine and the cardboard is made from a minimum 75% recycled materials.
October 2022
We’re thrilled to have received a World Beverage Innovation Award for Accolade Wines Wise Wolf by Banrock Station. This design is an excellent demonstration of a packaging that considers every aspect of sustainability.
September 2022
Continuing our partnership with the hugely successful 19 Crimes brand for Treasury Wine Estates comes Cali Gold: a collaboration with the legendary Snoop Dogg.
September 2022
Joining Denomination’s US team is D’Arcy Porter, who joins as Senior Account Director. We are incredibly excited about D’Arcy joining the business given her hefty drinks experience managing brand identity and packaging projects for clients including Molson Coors, Coca-Cola and Beam Suntory for Turner Duckworth.
August 2022
Our CEO Rowena Curlewis spoke to Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia, exploring the eco-friendly alternatives to glass bottles. Discussing the use of cans to refillable bottles, and ultimately how we can achieve a true circular economy in wine.
August 2022
Denomination is delighted to announce the appointment of Simon Gawn as Managing Director of its Sydney studio from 15 August 2022. Simon will work closely with co-founder & CEO Rowena Curlewis to further develop our offering, with a focus all visual touchpoints. Simon has spent the past decade+ managing businesses and client service teams at McCann, Merkle and Ogilvy
August 2022
Our Global Creative Director Margaret Nolan draws on her extensive experience as a designer in the drinks industry over three decades to tell Dieline how drinks brands can stand the test of time and stay relevant to consumers. This article looks at what it takes to be a rock star brand that remains timeless in people’s hearts and minds
July 2022
The newest wine from Penfolds is the inaugural French release, led by Penfolds II. This innovative wine has been made in collaboration with esteemed Bordeaux House Maison Dourthe, with 71% grapes from Bordeaux and 29% from South Australia. We are proud to have worked on this project, and on the Penfolds brand for 20+ years.
July 2022
PENTAWARDS Shortlist has been announced. Denomination has had 5 designs shortlisted, from over 2000+ entries globally. We are thrilled to have performed so well in this prestigious awards program. Final results announced 23rd September.
July 2022
We were honoured to be sponsors of Australia’s first Zero Alcohol Wine Awards 2022, where our Rowena Curlewis awarded Chris Hatcher, Chief Winemaker of Wolf Blass, for Best Red Wine. The Zero alcohol wine show highlighted the increase in quality of all wines entered, and we were excited to see so many of our designs feature including Wolf Blass Zero, Plus & Minus and Sobriety Society.
June 2022
We are so proud to have been involved in the rejuvenation of Mount Pleasant Wines, one of Hunter Valley’s legendary wineries. The understated and honest simplicity of the labels reflects the hands-off elegance of the wines and the humbleness of founder Maurice O’Shea, one of the giants of Australian winemaking.
June 2022
As Denomination US continues to grow, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Butler Looney to the position of Executive Creative Director of the US business.
June 2022
Who knew how many Game of Thrones fans there were at Denomination? Those fans had the privilege and pleasure of working on the new House of the Dragon wine range from Wolf Blass which was released this week.
June 2022
It’s definitely awards season! FAB Awards have just been announced with Denomination winning Design Agency of the Year jointly with Design Bridge. Two Golds for Wild Folk and Tread Softly for design effectiveness. Two Silvers for Plus & Minus and Tread Softly Gin.
June 2022
We are delighted to present our design for the new premium Tasmanian Pinot Noir ‘Devil(ish)’, which supports conservation efforts in Tasmania in a bid to help protect the Tasmanian Devil species.
June 2022
Thank you Drinks Business Awards 2022 for two top gongs: Wild Folk as the winner Best Design & Packaging for Wine, and Battery Point Single Malt Whisky as the winner for Best Design & Packaging for Spirits.
May 2022
May sees the launch of the new environmentally-focussed ‘Wise Wolf’ by Banrock Station. The new wine brand comes in a 100% post-consumer recycled glass cullet, with labels that are made from 100% recycled paper and closures made from 100% recycled plastic. The total pack is made from 95.1% recycled content and can be recycled again.
May 2022
It’s official: #1 Dieline Clear Spirits has been awarded to Tread Softly Dry Gin. Beautiful, sustainable and commercially successful. So proud of the team that’s created this incredible brand.
May 2022
Our CEO Rowena Curlewis formed part of a panel of speakers for Harpers Wine & Spirit Magazine’s ‘Sustainability of Glass Webinar’. Glass is a big concern for the wine industry and by no-means a black and white issue. The webinar brought to light key nuances within the topic which prompted debate on the glass alternatives that might gain traction in the future.
May 2022
Our Production Manager Patrick Byrson shares his thoughts for our sustainability leadership series.
April 2022
After a lot of data crunching and putting our sustainability policies into practice, Denomination is proud to have received certification as Climate Neutral for 2022.
This will be our second year as Climate Neutral – first acquired on Earth Day 2021.
April 2022
Our Associate Creative Director Pati Zywert appeared in Favourite Design this week. We love having Pati on the team, bringing her enthusiasm for design and sustainability to the table.
April 2022
Our Strategy Director Mariella Menato spoke to Raconteur about the importance of educating consumers on green packaging for ecommerce businesses, and how to integrate this into the brand experience in a way that reinforces brand values and drives positive impact.
March 2022
With a clever twist in the name “Le Moné”, this newly launched lemon aperitif brings to life the nostalgia of natural lemon drinks of the past. The freshness and naturalness of the ingredients is conveyed with its bright graphic lemon icon, overlaid with a semi abstract blue agave found in the liquid.
The Dieline has published an article on its development and sustainable footprint:
March 2022
The latest redesign from Denomination will open a new chapter for this iconic Napa brand.
Taking a careful, evolutionary approach to elevate and premiumise the core Napa and luxury Oakville tiers without alienating the current consumer base, we leveraged the brand’s distinctive assets with the use of updated book icons and an elegant bookplate border treatment.
February 2022
Today our CEO Rowena Curlewis ran a workshop on making Mindful Choices to Futureproof your Business: packaging choices that improve your sustainability. Run by The Porto Protocol Foundation, with presentations also by inèdit and Viva Wine Group.
Please contact us if you would like Rowena to take your business through this workshop.
January 2022
The new and very famous face for 19 Crimes has launched: Martha’s Chard, featuring the boundary-pushing and iconic Martha Stewart.
With the 19 Crimes brand experiencing double digit growth over the past year, as our client says, “the sky’s the limit” for this brand.
January 2022
Our co-founder and Global Creative Director Margaret Nolan speaks to Communication Arts about her love of design, as well as her deep experience as a designer working in the drinks industry for over 20 years.
She also testifies to the power of design to change the way people think about sustainability in the industry.
December 2021
Proud that our packaging and visual identity for Tread Softly Gin has won the love of Dieline and has been selected for their Pack of the Month.
Read the interview with our CEO and co-founder Rowena Curlewis on designing the brand extension for Fourth Wave Wine’s Tread Softly and all of the sustainable attributes that have been built into the new gin brand:
December 2021
Today Harpers Wine & Spirit Magazine released the 2021 Design Awards results and we are delighted that Denomination has won Design Agency of the Year for the fourth time: 2016, 2017, 2019, and now 2021.
Denomination’s haul included Supreme Champion for Cockburn’s Tails of the Unexpected, five Trophies for Tread Softly Gin, Starward Bottled Whisky Cocktails, Cowpunk, Cockburn’s and Plus Minus, as well as three gold, two silver and a bronze.
November 2021
Brand, packaging and the road to sustainability.
You’ve done the hard work, now what?
In the final blog of our sustainability series we talk about how to communicate the hard work you’ve put into your sustainability drive. From what sustainability means for your brand positioning and packaging design, to tapping into the modern consumer mindset. And importantly why communicating your sustainability agenda is a priority and an essential part of your eco journey.
October 2021
Embracing sustainability for the long haul.
How can brands stay on top of the sustainability agenda when the goal posts are always moving?
In this penultimate blog in we discuss how businesses can embrace sustainability for the long haul, stay vigilant about shifting rules and regulations, and the importance of having a partner that can help you keep on track.
October 2021
Our latest blog breaks down circular thinking for businesses in the drinks sector and show how you can take steps to work towards your sustainability goals in a measured, realistic way.
If we get it right, circular thinking will lead to greater prosperity in the future. Humans have a adopted a linear approach to the natural world – take, make, dispose, start again. We need to start thinking afresh about how the goods we create today can provide the resources of tomorrow.
October 2021
It pays to be sustainable.
Businesses in the drinks sector are increasingly recognising that sustainability is now a priority for many stakeholders including staff, VC, and investors – not just for consumers. As regulations around sustainability swiftly change, it’s critical that business ‘futureproof’ by adopting a genuine sustainability agenda.
October 2021
Introducing ‘The Manifesto’ the first in our sustainability blog series.
As a global drinks design agency with more than 20 years of experience in the sector, we’re acutely aware of the impact that climate change and sustainability are having on our industry.
We discuss our journey to sustainability – and why it’s so important for the industry’s future.
September 2021
Many thanks to Dieline for hosting our Strategy Director and Sustainability Lead Mariella Menato to talk about futureproofing the planet and the drinks industry at Dieline Conference 2021.
It was great to see so many people making an impact to help save our planet.
September 2021
We’re proud to be the winner of not one but two awards for The Drinks Business Awards 2021.
Best Design & Packaging for Wine for Fourth Wave Wine’s La Noblesse – a brand that captures the splendour of the Loire Valley region, featuring 17th century French portrait engravings dramatically cropped.
Best Design & Packaging for Fortified Wine for Quinta da Pedra Alta White Port – a refreshingly light port that breaks packaging conventions with an elegant and floral design.
August 2021
Introducing Tasmania’s Battery Point whisky.
So many whiskies from beyond Scotland’s borders endeavour to replicate Scotch design cues – stags, distiller signatures, lochs, and glens, etc. Battery Point’s design is unapologetically modern and Tasmanian, and steps away from category conventions in a big way, allowing the brand to shine and remain true to its roots.
August 2021
Our US team continues to expand, with the talented Lindsay Biggar joining Denomination US this week. Lindsay brings significant drinks design expertise and flair to the team, and will be based in our new Emeryville office. Welcome to Denomination Lindsay!
August 2021
Introducing ‘Tails of the Unexpected’ by Cockburn’s: the first ever range of mixable ports to be enjoyed as a cocktail ingredient all year round.
Our strategy was to create playful and disruptive designs based around the Cockburn’s cockerel to support their re-visioning of port. In line with Symington Family Family Estates’ sustainability principles, the bottles are made from 100% recycled glass, with labels fashioned from recyclable stock.
July 2021
Never satisfied with sitting on its laurels, 19 Crimes continues to innovate, disrupt and extend, this time with a Hard Seltzer. This is the first seltzer for Treasury Wine Estates.
Denomination’s creative solution features an all-black can, tying back to the all-black wine bottle, with gritty graphics and typography to appeal to the brand’s new and existing target audiences.
July 2021
Our latest design for Taylors Wines: Masterstroke. Featuring beautiful photography by Benjamin Goode and superb printing by MCC Label who went beyond and above with these labels.
We have had the honour of working with Taylors Wakefield for more than 14 years.
July 2021
Joining Carlo Mondavi (Monarch Tractor, Raen Winery, Continuum Estate and Sori della Sorba ) and Paulo Azevedo (Sonae MC and BA GLASS), is our CEO Rowena Curlewis for The Porto Protocol Foundation’s third edition of “The Business Sense of Internalizing Climate Change”. These three guests represent the whole wine value chain, from grape to glass, and will discuss how we can work together towards the common goal of climate action.
This timely and thorough conversation will take place on July 22nd, 5pm Lisbon, 9am California and 2am Sydney.
July 2021
A shrinking consumer base requires a fresh brand strategy to open up to new demographics and regions, says Francis Perrin, CMO at Ste Michelle Wine Estates. “Wine demand has traditionally been driven by Baby Boomers in America, but Millennials have now surpassed Baby Boomers as the largest adult generation living in the US, so we were starting to see consumer numbers shrink. And when your customer pool starts drying up, you need to branch out and find new avenues.”
June 2021
We’re thrilled to be celebrating a Gold at the Design Business Association (DBA) Awards for our creation of the Tread Softly brand for Fourth Wave Wine.
The Design Business Association (DBA) Design Effectiveness Awards provide powerful evidence of design’s ability to influence business success, and the winners prove that an investment in design pays dividends. There are three rigorous rounds of judging by business leaders, and the awards are all evidence-based: the impact of the design measured and verified. So to win a Gold, amongst our peers internationally, is a huge honour and verification of the effectiveness of our work.
Tread Softly is a great example of the integral role that design played in transforming Fourth Wave Wine’s business and improving our planet at the same time.
June 2021
We are delighted to announce that Kristin Geiger has joined the Denomination US team today as Senior Account Director. With 20 years of account management under her belt, Kristin will be leading the client service team in the US, working closely with our Business Director Meghan Read and Account Manager Justine Sizemore. She will be managing existing client relationships and overseeing new accounts as our US client list continues to expand. Kristin joining the US team coincides with the opening up of our new, larger studio in Emeryville on June 18. A big welcome to Kristin!
May 2021
“How consumers buy wine is complex, subtle, personal, and unpredictable.” An interview with our co-founder and Creative Director Margaret Nolan and Dieline about what might be consciously and subconsciously driving our wine buying choices.
May 2021
On Wednesday 9th June, our CEO Rowena Curlewis will be speaking at the Wine & Spirit Virtual Fair 2.0. This global conference on packaging and design for the wine and spirits industry will bring together leading companies that are driving change in sustainability.
May 2021
Our CEO, Rowena Curlewis talks to The Drinks Business about the pulling power of celebrity wines in creating credibility and security in the drinks industry.
April 2021
In 2015 we were asked to evolve the iconic Yellow Tail brand. Our packaging design refresh resulted in a significant uplift in wine sales, particularly for its whites, and it’s great to see Yellow Tail ranked as #1 again as the world’s most powerful brand in Wine Intelligence’s Global Wine Brand Power Index 2021.
April 2021
“There must be a clear navigation of the packaging components, and a harmonious partnership between capsule and label design” according to our co-founder Rowena Curlewis in this month’s Grapegrower & Winemaker, discussing why wine capsules are essential to brand storytelling.
Credit: Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker.
March 2021
Duckhorn’s first-ever can offering: Decoy Premium Seltzers has been created by Denomination. This new range of wine-based seltzers expands on Decoy’s iconic look and feel to create a sophisticated, fresh and approachable design, with a twist.
March 2021
It was great to partner once again with Treasury Wine Estates on its latest addition to the 19 Crimes gang. Introducing the distinct coffee red, The Deported. We dialled up coffee infusion cues, reflecting those associated with cold brew products, delivering a seamless addition to the range, whilst remaining a unique and disruptive entry into the market.
March 2021
“You need a focused brand strategy to lead the wine sector’s charge to sustainability”, says our client Caroline Thompson-Hill, Accolade Wine Europe’s Managing Director. A deep dive into Accolade’s sustainability drive and its partnership with Denomination in realising these ambitions is covered in the article below.
March 2021
We’re delighted to have been featured in The Dieline for International Women’s Day on brands empowering women today. Our CEO, Rowena Curlewis, shares that whilst cliched approaches are still prevalent, it’s making less sense to approach brand identity this way. Highlighting rosé as a prime example and why it’s never wise to make assumptions…
March 2021
Years in the making, Penfolds has finally released its much anticipated “California Collection”: a range of four wines, two of which blend both Californian and South Australian fruit in the Penfolds house style. Denomination has worked with Penfolds for nearly 20 years, and this project was a very exciting one to be part of. The restrained design combines the recognisable elements of Penfolds overlaid with an American touch.
February 2021
We’re fascinated by the dark side of life. A little horror or true crime drama sharpens the senses and gets our pulses racing. More and more wine brands are picking up on the trend, hoping to delight your palate and send a shiver down your spine. Our CEO Rowena Curlewis talked to design title Dieline about why brands like 19 Crimes, Trapped and Orin Swift are raising a glass to the dark side…
January 2021
We recently gave popular wine Castello del Poggio a brand rethink to enable it to address the challenges it is currently facing in the North American region and reassert itself as a market leader. The design solution makes a real virtue of its authentic Italian roots, and is a careful balance of superior wine cues and La Dolce Vita style. Perfect for the US market. Check it out in GDUSA.
January 2021
Denomination is delighted to announce the appointments of Sydney Creative Director, Graeme Offord, and Senior Account Director, Pip Lloyd, who both joined the Sydney office today. These two new appointments further strengthen our strategic and creative design expertise in the drinks industry globally.
November 2020
Vegan-friendly and plant-based products are increasingly positioned as mainstream across all kinds of sectors as the health benefits become more widely appreciated and concerns about farming practices and the environment grow. Our CEO Rowena Curlewis spoke with FMCG CEO on how the vegan movement is now making its presence felt in the wine sector.
November 2020
Our friends at Fourth Wave approached us to develop the identity for its new wine La Noblesse. The design has been created to entice consumer to drink wines from the Loire Valley, a region under-represented in the category and awash with old fashioned, samey brand and packaging identities. The Loire is renowned for its chateaux and its aristocratic heritage, so the final work shows how it’s possible to present a serious wine in a modern, light-hearted and disruptive way without compromising its heritage or quality.
October 2020
Does your brand have ‘social purpose’? Our Strategy Director Mariella Menato spoke with The Drinks Report on how consumers are looking to brands to show their social purpose. Consumers are critically seeking brands to define their reasons for being, determining not only how these reflect their individual morals but how they impact and benefit society as whole. #brandpurpose #drink #design
October 2020
Our CEO Rowena Curlewis will be presenting on the Value of Design to Consumers in the drinks sector as part of Brand Finance’s Global Forum 2020.
October 2020
The iconic Californian brand Cannonball has received its first refresh in over a decade, evolving the original design created by the renowned Michael Schwab. Released today, this redesign by Denomination continues the brand’s fun-loving side with increased premiumness and modernity.
October 2020
The Drum asked head honchos from brands, agencies and everything in between, for their advice on maintaining client relationships in the current climate. Here’s what our CEO Rowena Curlewis had to say on the positives that have come out of the situation:
October 2020
Today, Treasury Wine Estates launches the new 19 Crimes 1.5 litre bag-in-box targeting millennial male consumers for the UK market. Capitalising on the success of the 19 Crimes brand, Denomination’s design is bold and arresting.
October 2020
When you picture vegan wine, what do you think of? When creating the identity for Hello! we used pastel shades to create a soft reassuring feel and matte paperstock to reinforce the brand’s natural position.
September 2020
Could there be a better name for an Australian beer? Named after the drought-stricken Aussie Bushman’s plea in 1912, “Send ‘er down Hughie!” which quickly became our farmers’ plea for refreshing rain, and part of the Australian vernacular. Launched this month, Denomination created the brand positioning, name, identity and packaging design for this new beer brand. For every case sold, $2 goes to Australian farmers doing it tough, and consumers can see where their money is going.
September 2020
Our CEO Rowena Curlewis talks with Nordic’s Insight Podcast hosted by Satu Raunola-Spencer on the development of the Georg Jensen Hallmark Cuvée for Heemskerk Wines.
August 2020
One of the UK’s largest brands, the Echo Falls redesign adds modernity and style to this very popular wine brand. Thanks Accolade Wines for a fantastic, fast-paced and exciting project to work on.
August 2020
The world’s only awards program for women in wine is now open for entries.Denomination is proud to sponsor the Marketer of the Year 2020 for this program which supports and promotes women in the wine industry. Entries here:
May 2020
Our CEO Rowena Curlewis was interviewed by Andrew Catchpole, editor of Harpers Wine & Spirits, on trends and packaging design in a post-pandemic world.
May 2020
Today Dieline revealed the 2020 winners for The World’s Best Packaging. We are beyond delighted to have won First Place Wine/Champagne for the second year in a row. The judges said of our ethereal Tread Softly design, that it was both brave and extraordinary. Thanks to our equally brave client Fourth Wave Wine; not many clients would follow our recommendation to have the brand name in such tiny type!