remixing a heirloom
Company: Amaro del Bacio
Role: Product designer (freelance)
Product: Website & branding
With this project, I had the chance to work on a family’s heirloom. Farmacia della fonte (a family-run Italian pharmacy), wanted to create a digestive liquor based on the elixir Bacio, which was produced at the beginning of the 1900s by the great-grandfather of the current generation of pharmacists. While they were busy producing the liquor, they asked me to curate its creative direction.
When I began researching for this project, I of course started from the name: as Bacio’s copyright belonged to another relative, we decided on Amaro del Bacio to still recall the original elixir, while meaning “bitterness of kiss”, a cheeky nod to a new beginning.
Now that we had a name, I had to craft the brand and that started with a bottle and a label. My biggest inspiration in choosing the design for the bottle was the place where the elixir originated (also where the pharmacy is), San Pellegrino Terme. Once, an elegant spa destination during the 1900s because of its famous mineral waters, it is today a charming town full of art nouveau buildings, nested between the Alps. This rich history, inspired a bottle that with its shape and reeded glass reminds of the decorative style of the 1900s.
As for the logo and the label I collaborated with a talented digital designer I had already worked with. We knew it was important to pay homage to the elixir’s history so we used fonts that reminded of art nouveau while adding the original bottle on the back. When choosing the colours and the aesthetic we decided to focus on the liquor itself, and its beautiful orange colour. At last, I sketched chamomille flowers (the main ingredient) and we added touches of gold to highlight the elegance of the bottle.
My last effort was the creation of a website to highlight the history of this liquor and showcase it as a product. I had a lot of fun crafting a one-page digital destination that expanded on the branding I created.
The bottle, the label and the website
the start of a new tradition
At the moment Amaro del Bacio is already gaining new fans of all ages and is set to get a cult following in the future.
Not only are people delighted by its taste, but I’ve received the best compliments and feedback regarding the creative direction of the brand, and the bottle in particular.
