The ever-popular nautical theme is exercised coherently and captivatingly in Mercator Beer packaging. The vessels hold a premium Belgian India pale ale and the product gets its name from a historic 1936 ship that's located in Oostende.
There's a tendency to go overboard when working with such distinctive visual imagery, but Norwegian designer Vibeke Illevold kept things looking clean. She wrapped a shiny nylon cord around the entire neck of each bottle to reference the many ropes that can be found on sailboats.
Apart from this unconventional beer bottle accessory, a simple a crest was etched onto the front of each vessel, encouraging consumers to collect them all. Mercator Beer packaging features an iron anchor, a spoked steering wheel, a lifesaver ring and an iconic navigation star. Stamped brown paper caps display the same symbols.
Bound Rope Branding
Mercator Beer Packaging Makes Use of Maritime Merchandizing
Trend Themes
1. Nautical Branding - Companies can leverage nautical motifs and symbols to create visually distinctive branding for their products.
2. Accessorized Packaging - Packaging designers can add uncommon and eye-catching accessories to products to make them stand out in competitive markets.
3. Collection Incentives - Brands can encourage customers to collect multiple products by creating an incentive, like a unique design element on each item in the collection.
Industry Implications
1. Craft Beer - Craft beer brands can create visually striking packaging by incorporating unconventional design elements and leveraging popular themes.
2. Luxury Spirits - Luxury spirits brands can create limited edition packaging featuring unique design elements to drive sales and foster brand loyalty among collectors.
3. Maritime Retail - Maritime retail brands can incorporate nautical themes into their product designs to make them more appealing to customers who are interested in boating and other water-based activities.