Wingnut in the World

Portfolio Center students Rachel Strubinger and Dave Whitling who created the strikingly spirited design and packaging for the newly launched Wingnut Zinfandel Wine celebrate their branding achievement.

Education for the Real World at Portfolio Center- exclusively a difference right here as students in classes participate and create real world experiences, not just ‘blue-sky’ approaches. Rather, ‘the sky is the limit’ when you put your personal interpretations and passion into your work.

Recently, students in my infamous 5:30 a.m. class partnered directly with Charles Bieler and Three Thieves Winery of Napa Valley to create the identity and packaging for the national launch of Wingnut Wine.

Wingnut Wine rolls out and onto the shelves in markets nationwide, starting first and exclusively at CostCo World Markets, and then across the country, soon to be featured at Publix and Whole Food supermarkets.

Amazing results were achieved. Working to define the identity came about as each designer in the class produced various directions- learning what strength was about, how to persist in the face of alterations and change, and even a momentary failure here and there- with a constant vigilance to a vision, learning in the process that a perception might be subordinate to a market reality… Finally, though, they realized how to integrate their passions in creating positive results. For in a real world experience, the difference between the seeking and the finding is our discovery.

What results is a ‘WOW’ design that is visually stunning, that jumps off the shelf, showcasing a motif which alludes to the emotional and aesthetic quality of ‘John and Jane Wingnut.’

The final credits go to Dave Whitling, whose design captures the essence of the brand.

Here’s what Dave had to say about the project and his process:

As we began researching and concepting for this project, everyone started to develop their own ideas of what “wingnut” meant and how to interpret it in a visual manner. It eventually occurred to me that the essence of a wingnut wasn’t about a particular style or movement, or even a particular person. But rather it is a spirit, a pure unbridled passion. It’s the spirit behind the buildings of Frank Ghery. It’s the spirit behind the inventions of Da Vinci, the paintings of Jackson Pollock, and even the initial motivation behind the way in which Steve Jobs and company have gone about producing and marketing those great machines we all spend so much time with. It’s that gut feeling that makes you follow your own lead despite the status quo.

The further we got into the project the more abundantly clear it became that the guys behind Three Thieves were doing just that, bucking the system and charting their own path in an industry steeped in tradition. So how do you communicate an intangible spirit in a visual manner? I eventually landed upon the idea that perhaps the best way of showing this was in a way that was as abstract and open to interpretation as the concept of a free spirit itself.

Along the way, designer Rachel Strubinger realized that the cork on the bottle allows for innovative advertising experiences for the brand, and she created a series of Wingnut Wisdom corks. Each cork has a quote from a famous wingnut about their insights on life, such as Winston Churchill’s, “We are all worms. But I believe that I am a glow-worm.”

The corks offer a unique surprise for the consumer, and will not only be great conversation starters, but will also help create brand loyalty and recognition. The class collaboration resulted in Rachel’s corks being incorporated into Dave’s concept and design.

Our dreams and aspirations are always our best creations. An investment in real world education pays a best interest and a great relationship produces a really happy client.

Hank.

Wingnut pallets stacked to the rafters with WINGNUT! And a very happy client, Charles Bieler, of Three Thieves Winery, Napa Valley.

Trackback.