Telling visual stories to connect

ARCUS

Crafting an aquavit brand with an emotional appeal

We have helped ARCUS to create Markens Grøde, a new aquavit under the traditional Lysholm brand. To create a product brand with strong shelf power, we have relied on solid knowledge about consumer behavior and the importance of creating an emotional connection through craftsmanship.

Designing a brand for a product to sell on a market where you can’t advertise it, is a rather specific situation. In Norway, it's forbidden to advertise alcoholic beverages. This means that the bottle needs to sell itself on the shelf. For a completely new product brand, this requires thoughtful design and in-depth consumer behavior knowledge.

For Markens Grøde’s case, we developed a dual concept that is both modern and traditional: we used classical and natural references, as well as rich illustrations and bespoke typography, inspired by street art, traditional etchings, and traditional aquavits. This creates attraction and experienced value through storytelling, details, and textures. Details such as copper hot foil draw attention to it, and the paper's tactility, embossing, and the bottle itself confirm the choice for the buyer.

Creating an emotional appeal

Premium alcoholic beverages are social products – we consume them together with others, savour them, talk about them, and keep the bottles on display on the table. To a certain extent, the product is part of our identity. Hence, we won’t buy it unless we feel that it’s an expression of ourselves.

80% of the final purchase decision is determined by the emotional appeal of a product. The decision is intuitive, not logical.
Martin Nordseth, Lead Branding Designer, EGGS Design

When you enter the Vinmonopolet (state-owned off-license in Norway), you come with a plan which takes you to a section of the store. Once there, you come across a few options and after that the choice is emotional - you’ll buy what feels right. This may mean something that feels safe and familiar, or that feels exciting and novel. In Markens Grøde’s case, as a new product, it needs to convince the buyer that it can, literally, bring something new to the table. But at the same time, provide the reliable quality and taste experience promised by the Lysholm brand.

We worked with Arcus’ Lysholm Markens Grøde from brief to concept and printed label. This included concept creation, drafts and illustrations, label shape and construction, medium choices, printing techniques, label design, typography, and information hierarchy on the bottle. Professional illustrator Martin Lothe made the illustrations in close cooperation with our own Martin and ARCUS.

Appealing to new consumer groups

Traditional aquavit brands mainly appeal to mature buyers, and primarily men. Markens Grøde, however, has the emotional power and esthetics to reach new, younger consumer groups. This was one of the objectives when creating the new Markens Grøde brand. To create this dual appeal, we broke some rules. By combining traditional references in patterns and prints, with a modern, sleek style bottle shape and an unconventional, informal illustration style, we achieved a unique look.

Sounds interesting?

Ellen Lidgren

Let's talk to Co-CEO
Ellen Lidgren
+47 415 20 326
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