When common becomes

rare

Creating a design and strategy for a high end, small batch, wine from a local vineyard. All for the sake of charity and to remind us that there is beauty in the common day to day things around us.

Rare Aesthetic,

polished elements

The original concept for the aesthetic of the assets and the vibe of the campaign is based on two major elements. The first, the beautiful iridescent flow of colors that appear in the feathers of a grackle. I’ve always enjoyed watching as the colors of their plumage catch the light and the colors swell and fade into each other.

The second element comes from how they fly. I learned a long time ago (shout out to the book series Animorphs) that birds fly on waves of near invisible heat called thermals. When photographed these heat signatures shift colors during thermal read outs.

I wanted to challenge myself to recreate this in my design.

Helping the hill country

This project was born out of a good friend of mine who knows more about birds than I could ever know about anything. She is the person I based the character, Toni Blanchard, a retired ornithologist, who retired and became a Hill Country wine influencer and vineyard owner. With the rich soil and perfect temperature for her grapes, Toni created the Rare Air wine series. In the past there has been a Spanish Tempranillo and a full bodied Malbec. But this year is a cask aged, limited batch of a earthy yet subtle Cabernet Sauvignon. And with each release part of the proceeds go to helping a local wildlife center in the Austin area.

The main difference, besides the charitable donation, between this series and the rest of her wines, is the price point. Because these are rare varietals, each bottle comes with unique packaging, marking the limited batch of series. And the price for this year’s will run Toni’s patrons $400 dollars a bottle. Rare Air, indeed.

Cork and All

Moving forward with a new design, I wanted to streamline the elements from the original design. While I still believe the original label connects to the Hill Country aesthetic, it wasn’t presenting as a high end, luxury item.

So I stripped the line work, the small touches and large imagery. I wanted something that didn’t need be busy to imply good taste and a high price tag. I wanted subtle, minimal, clean. A person who buys wine for a cellar or private collection doesn’t need the bottle to say it’s rare and exclusive. Them owning it, in a highly curated collection already denotes rarity.

This seems counter intuitive but I believe that for this specific demographic, the less the bottle says, the better.

Who’s pulling the cork?

Eleanor, who goes by "Elle," represents the ambitious and design-focused professional woman who approaches collecting with the same precision and eye for distinction that she applies to her career. For her, the "luxury item" is about the unique experience, cultural resonance, and impeccable design it facilitates when shared within her circle of friends and professional group.

Age: 36 (Late 30s). This places her at a critical point of professional maturity and financial stability, where collecting high-end items, like wine, becomes a more established lifestyle choice.
Race/Ethnicity: White (European descent).
Income: $165,000+ annually. A significant margin above the $100k threshold, enabling substantial discretionary spending on high-value items without financial strain. She represents a core luxury demographic.
Location: High-End Suburban Enclave near a Major Cultural Hub (e.g., Tarrytown, Austin, Texas). She values space, proximity to professional opportunities, and a community of like-minded high-earners. Her home is her primary space for both personal expression and hosting.
Education: MBA, with an undergraduate degree in a discipline requiring strong critical and spatial thinking (e.g., Architecture, UX Design, or Fine Arts/Art History). Her education provided the analytical framework she applies to business and curation.
Marital Status & Children: Likely Single or a High-Earning DINK (Dual Income, No Kids). This allows for significant focus on personal development, professional goals, and collecting.

Elle’s work forms the core of her identity and dictates her lifestyle. Her professional goals are central to her long-term planning.

Profession: Senior Brand Strategist / Creative Director at a top-tier Boutique Marketing and design consultancy (or a high-growth tech firm).
Company Profile: Her firm is known for launching highly successful, visually distinct brands. She is in a position of influence, overseeing cross-functional teams.
Key Motivation: Elle’s ambition is to eventually found her own consultancy. Her current role is a stepping stone to building the resume, network, and capital required to launch a business focused on authentic, impactful storytelling for premium products.
Work Style: Deeply focused on long-term strategy, the synthesis of visual identity with product narrative, and the technical aspects of implementation. She appreciates efficiency and data-driven insights.