Oak & Glory

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MONICA WU | MFA THESISMONICA WU | MFA THESIS

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MONICA WU | MFA THESIS

Grown and distilled in Oregonia, Ohio

OAK & GLORY

An MFA thesis project

Designed by MONICA WU

ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

PHOTOGRAPHY

Joe Danzer

Kevin Kittrell

Olesya Stryzhak

Christian Vetter

To find out more, please visit

WWW.OAKANDGLORYSPIRITS.COM

View more of Monica’s work at

WWW.HELLOGRAPHICS.COM

“People want to eat well. They want to know about the

provenance of every piece of lettuce that goes in their mouth.

They want to know where their meats are raised.

Why should what they drink be any less important?”

—WARREN BOBROW , FOOD & COCKTAIL WRITER

CONTENTS

6

PREFACE

Defining an MFA thesis

8

FARM ROOTS

Background and opportunity

26

SEED TO BOTTLE

A sustainable farm distillery

68

AMERICAN SPIRIT

Implementation

108

GROWING SEASONS

Research and development

147

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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PREFACE

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At its most essential, a graphic design MFA

thesis project is a problem or opportunity

that is solved through the successful use of

graphic design.

Of course, it is much more than that.

As the apex of a terminating degree, a

graphic design MFA thesis should display

knowledge and expertise over a chosen

topic. It should be well-researched, criti-

cally considered, and should be designed

with heightened craft and understanding.

A thesis is also much more than the

DEFINING AN MFA THESIS

final deliverable. It should represent the

culmination of extensive research and

development, charting our professional

growth over the over the course of almost

half our grad school careers.

Oak & Glory was not my first thesis

topic. In fact, I was already done with the

bulk of my core classes by the time I really

started work on it. However, Oak & Glory

charts the entirety of my maturation as a

graphic designer. One could really say we

grew up together.

FARM ROOTSBACKGROUND | OPPORTUNITY

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BACKGROUND

T he American food chain is dominated by

a handful of disproportionately power-

ful agrotech conglomerates, who have put

profit ahead of consumers, farmers, and

the environment.

The strong pesticides and herbicides

used in modern American agriculture are

poisoning the environment. GMO-related

pesticides are contributing to the col-

ony collapse disorder in bees, which are

devastating the bee colonies vital to the

pollination of many plant species.

Since their commercial introduction

in the mid 1990s, genetically modified organ-

isms (GMOs) have come to dominate American

agriculture. They refer to crop plants cre-

ated for human or animal consumption

using genetic engineering techniques, mod-

ified on a genetic level to enhance desired

traits. About 90% of corn—the quintessential

American crop—is genetically modified.

Transgenic crops are considered intellec-

tual property, which allows a few companies

like Monsanto to control the market through

patent monopolies. They've perpetrated one

of the most aggressive patent assertion

AMERICAN AGRICULTUREAlthough food is something that we can't live without, there

is a dark side to how it's currently being produced

campaigns in history against American

farmers, with 128 lawsuits and over 700

settlements in the past 15 years.

The three largest companies control

70% of global seed sales. This market power

gives them the ability to set or influence

food prices, and also gives them immense

bargaining and lobbying power over govern-

ment food production policy-making. Using

their control of seed patents, they are able

to block independent research on the real

effects of eating genetically modified foods,

while funding flattering research “studies”.

Companies like Monsanto are actively

trying to keep normal, non-GMO seeds out

of farmers’ reach, buying up seed companies

across the Midwest and writing legislation

to make lawful seed saving difficult.

They spend tens of millions of dollars

to fight against right-to-know laws for con-

sumers, taking away our freedom to make

informed choices about what we put into

our bodies, and hinders our freedom to vote

with our wallets against damaging prac-

tices that go against our beliefs.

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OPPORTUNITY

due to the rise of the food movement, more

and more consumers are paying attention

to how their food is grown and where their

food comes from. Unfortunately, this same

awareness does not extend to the hard alco-

hol that they drink, even though it is sourced

from the same agricultural system.

Whiskey is an alcoholic beverage made

by distilling a fermented mash of grain. It has

just three ingredients: grain, water, and yeast,

the same three ingredients as bread.

If corn is the quintessential American

crop, then bourbon is the quintessential

American spirit. In fact, in 1964 Congress

decreed that “Bourbon whiskey is a distinc-

tive product of the United States”. According

to most international legal definitions, only

products produced in America can even

legally be called bourbon. Three elements

make it unique among whiskies: American

corn, pure limestone water, and aging in

charred oak barrels.

During my research, I conducted an

in-depth 168-person survey of consumers

from across the United States on alcohol

and sustainable behaviors. The respondents

ranged in age from 21 to 56, with the major-

ity being in their late 20s. There were roughly

an equal number of men and women in the

study. Most were middle-class and well-

educated, with over 85% having a bachelor's

degree or above.

I found that in this young, educated

population, people are very environmentally

aware, and are actually extremely engaged in

trying to make good, ethical decisions about

their food. These are people who self-identify

as "environmentally conscious", who shop

at farmers markets and try to buy local or

organic when available.

Yet by and large, these same people have

not made the same association about alcohol.

They drink, but they don't drink well. They

don't realize that booze is made from the

same crops as their food. They haven't thought

about where the ingredients come from.

My goal is to help these consumers

realize that the same agricultural issues

that apply to food, apply to hard spirits as

well. I aim to inspire them to be mindful

about what they drink.

A MISSING CONNECTIONMost people don't think of liquor as food, but hard

alcohol nevertheless is made from the same crops

66% 63%ARE BUYING LOCAL

63% of survey respondents said they made

an effort to buy locally grown foods.

70%WANT ETHICAL INGREDIENTS

70% of respondents reported that they were

concerned about where food comes from

and how ingredients are grown. They were

worried about companies like Monsanto, and

made an effort to buy organic or non-GMO.

COULD NOT NAME A SINGLE ORGANIC ORNON-GMO LIQUOR

97%97%

ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE

66% of survey respondents said they tried

to make environmentally responsible food

purchasing decisions.

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OPPORTUNITY

STRATEGY

This goal will be accomplished through the

creation, branding, and marketing of a cov-

etable seed-to-bottle distillery, where the

positives of sustainably-grown spirits will

be emphasized and integrated as a primary

part of the brand identity.

When was the last time you did some-

thing because a PSA told you to? Creating

an engaging, desirable brand as messaging

vehicle will make the topic desirable, rather

than preachy, in the eyes of the consumer. It

will also give consumers choice in the lim-

ited market of sustainable spirits.

KEY MESSAGING

× Make sustainably farmed spirits

desirable

× Help people connect that hard alcohol is

made from crops.

× Help mainstream the food movement—

as in don’t just preach to the choir.

TARGET AUDIENCE

My primary audience consists of American

drinkers who are somewhat knowledgeable

about food issues, but do not associate it

with hard alcohol. My secondary audience

consists of alcohol drinkers who are not

engaged with food issues, but are open to

learning more.

My audience are drinkers between the

ages of 21 and 40, well-educated, with a dis-

posable income. They drink alcohol at least

several times a month. They consider them-

selves environmentally aware, and do make

some effort to buy locally grown foods, but

it may not be the biggest focus of their lives.

CHALLENGES

I need to bring a working brand to mar-

ket that delivers a sustainable message

while still appealing to a broader audience.

It is important to not project a crunchy

green eco-friendly image and preach to the

already choir. I need to create a desirable

brand that will be able to win and loyalize

converts in a broader audience.

ENGAGING THE AUDIENCEGetting people to care about how their hard liquor is grown

through the creation of a seed-to-bottle farm distillery brand

SEED TO BOTTLEFARM DISTILLERY | VISUAL IDENTITY

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SEED TO BOTTLE

GROWN AND DISTILLED IN OREGONIA, OHIO

Crafting exceptional spirits using the best ingredients possible.

COMPANY OVERVIEW

The best spirits require the best ingredi-

ents. Which is why at Oak & Glory we grow

most of our grain ourselves. We source the

rest of our ingredients from our neighbors,

distilling in limited batches right on our

farm in Oregonia, Ohio.

The best ingredients are ones that

don't hurt your neighbors. That’s why we

stay away from pesticides, chemical fertil-

izers, and genetically modified seeds, and

why we're working on getting our organic

certification. We want to promote agri-

cultural diversity by preserving regional

crops, while supporting local organic farm-

ers through the sourcing of our ingredients.

And frankly, we grow our ingredients

because they taste better. Creating spirits

from the ground up gives us control over

almost every aspect of the process. It’s

about the experience of making something

real—of truly knowing our ingredients

to better understand our craft. We are

inspired by the past, but we're constantly

looking towards the future.

BRAND VALUES

We created Oak & Glory to make amazing

spirits—but also to be part of the change we

want to see. Our values are reflected in our

visual identity. It’s of utmost importance

that each element of our visual messaging

be considered and meaningful

The most important element is our

farm focus. The fact that we grown our

own ingredients from seed to bottle is what

makes us stand apart. We want to put a

focus on the ingredients, on authentic stew-

ardship beyond environmental buzzwords

We are inspired by history, but we are

also crafting a new way to do things and

boldly pushing forwards. In our visual direc-

tion we may reference tradition and history,

but we do not use historical vernacular.

Finally, Oak & Glory is hand-crafted

and personal. Actual nature is not uniform.

Our flavor reflects the variability of nature,

of the terroir of our land, of the grain that

we grow each season in Oregonia, Ohio. We

want to create a personal experience with

with an authentic sense of place.

OAK & GLORY

The two combine to form a mark which is

simple, unique, and iconic. It can be easily

reproduced on a variety of materials.

OAK LEAF

Bourbon is aged in charred oak barrels. Oak

is America’s national tree. It represents both

the natural world and the American spirit.

SHIELD

Shield is glory. Glory is aspirational. We are

trying to leave a positive footprint, to set an

example, to aim for something greater.

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LOGO | USAGE

Our signature is simple and iconic. We use it on official

communications. It is important that the logomark

not be overused, however. We want to speak with an

authentic voice, not a logo.

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PRIMARY LOGOMARK

This is our primary brand representation. It

should be used on main location signage,

documents, web headers, and packaging. It

should be used judiciously.

SECONDARY LOGOMARK

Our secondary logomark was created for

situations where our irregularly shaped

primary mark would not be as aesthetically

fitting. It should be used in tactile techniques

such as wood burning and embossing.

SYMBOL

The Oak & Glory symbol can be used as a

standalone mark when a simple and iconic

identifier is necessary.

WORDMARK

The Oak & Glory wordmark can be used for

standalone signage and titling. It is also used

when layout calls for a horizontal mark.

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X = ampersand height

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BLACK ON LIGHT BACKGROUND GREEN ON LIGHT BACKGROUND

WHITE PAINT ON WOOD

COPPER ON BROWN

WHITE ON PHOTO

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WHITE ON DARK BACKGROUND

LOGO | APPLICATIONS

Consistent use of our logo is a key part of our visual

identity. Our logomark should always be reproduced

exactly as they appear in our digital files. Our mark

is suitable for a variety of environments, but it should

never be altered or modified in any unapproved way.

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& OAK & GLORY & OAK & GLORY

DON’T WARP THE MARK DON’T ADJUST THE DISTANCE

DON’T MODIFY TYPEFACE DON’T OUTLINE THE LOGODON’T CHANGE TYPEFACE

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AVOID POOR CONTRASTDON’T USE OFF-BRAND COLORS

DON’T ALIGN HORIZONTALLY

DON’T USE MULTIPLE COLORS

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TYPOGRAPHY | SPECIMENS

Our typography should be simple and practical. Stick

mainly with Century Schoolbook and Proxima Nova.

Veneer may be used as an occasional impact face.

Handlettering is used as a display accent.

PRIMARY | CENTURY SCHOOLBOOK

Morris Fuller Benton (1919)

USAGE

Text | Italics

Like Oak & Glory, Century Schoolbook is

plainspoken and practical, and rooted in

years of American heritage and history.

An unpretentious workhorse typeface, its

Clarendon-like features hearken back to

the American farmland.

SECONDARY | PROXIMA NOVA

Mark Simonson (2005)

USAGE

Headings | Mouse type

Proxima Nova is a modern creation, but

Oak & Glory isn’t bound by retro nostalgia.

We chose Proxima Nova because its high

x-height and round legibility pairs it well with

Century Schoolbook.

Have nothing in your houseABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

that you do not know to be usefulABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

OR BELIEVE TO BE BEAUTIFULABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

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IMPACT | VENEER

Ryan Martinson (2012)

USAGE

Headlines | Impact type

Veneer is used in instances when we need a

condensed impact typeface. Use sparingly.

IT’S THE PEOPLE’S DRINK. IT DOESN’T GET MORE AMERICAN THAN WHISKEYab cdefghijk lmnop qrs t u v w x y z 123 4 56 7 8 9 0

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ACCENT | HANDLETTERING

Handlettering is used as a display face for packaging. It is the typo-

graphic representation of Oak & Glory at its essence: hand-crafted,

personal, and rooted in tradition. In order to maintain its visual

impact and provide contrast, handlettering should be limited to

packaging and promotional materials.

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ACCENT | OAK & GLORY PATTERN

Although we don’t use it often, our accent pattern is another exam-

ple of our attention to history, craft, and detail. It may look like

just a texture, but the pattern is based on the traditional American

quilting pattern for the oak leaf.

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PALLETE | MATERIALS

We heavily incorporate a tactile palette of rustic and

natural materials to emphasize our farm origin. The

selection of wood and copper coloring should be eclectic

rather than rigidly uniform.

PRIMARY | ECLECTIC DARK WOOD

Use a variety of dark, aged wood. Rough

texture, not too red, not too finished.

PRIMARY | COPPER

Try to use actual copper metal whenever

metallic elements are needed.

SECONDARY | CANVAS

When using cloth, use canvas whenever

possible or available. If not canvas, then

choose for natural, unbleached fabrics.

SECONDARY | GLASS

When using glass elements, do not be too

decorative. Choose for plainness, straight

cylindrical shape, and a thick base which

echoes our glass bottles.

SECONDARY | PALE WOOD

Although dark wood is primary, occasional

touches of unfinished pale wood can be used

as a contrast element, especially if contrasted

against copper.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Because we are trying to both highlight and create

an authentic sense of place, photography is extremely

important. Having a consistent photographic style

gives a visual setting for Oak & Glory and helps con-

vey our story. We use a palette of photographic styles

and subjects to evoke our emotional vision of a small

farm distillery in the American midwest.

Since we are focused on portraying authentic farm

origins, it is doubly important that we use our own

photography whenever possible. It would be dishonest

to our brand to pass off a stock photo of a random farm

as that of our own.

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PHOTO STYLE | DRENCHED IN LIGHT

Impressionistic use of light. Warmy, dreamy, nostalgic afternoon

sunlight, like in a perpetual state of indian summer. Natural light,

especially golden hour sunlight, is preferred.

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PHOTO STYLE | SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD

Shallow depth of field, in some instances more dramatic than in

others. Dynamic compositions with a strong sense of perspective.

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PHOTO SUBJECT | CRAFTSMAN AT WORK

Feel of craft, focus, attention to detail. No looking at or acknowl-

edging camera, no posing, always be in the middle of some sort of

action. Must look naturalistic, not posed. Prefer single person in

each photo, not two people crowded together, unless necessary.

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PHOTO SUBJECT | HANDS AT WORK

Hands in action. Shallow depth of field. Shots from a variety of

angles—front, side, even top-down. The feel is personal, intimate,

and somewhat anonymous, with great attention paid to detail and

craft. The focus should be on the action, not the hands.

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PHOTO SUBJECT | FARM LANDSCAPE

Broad and nostalgic mood with a strong sense of place. Straight

horizon line. It’s okay to show weather or change or seasons, as

that’s the natural way.

BUSINESS SYSTEM

Our business system is an example of our visual iden-

tity in action. It reflects our materials, our sense of

craft, and our attention to detail. It also displays the

tactile quality and textural motifs that help make up

the Oak & Glory brand.

AMERICAN SPIRITIMPLEMENTATION

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PRODUCT | BOURBON

Our Fire Roasted Corn Bourbon is our primary and

flagship product, distilled with corn that we grew on

our farm. The plain-spoken name reflects our dedica-

tion to transparency and authenticity, and focus on

farmed ingredients. We think what’s inside the bottle

should speak for itself.

PRODUCT | FARM SPIRITS

While Fire Roasted Corn Bourbon is our flagship

product, we also have several other spirits in the

works. These include Apple Jack, distilled from heir-

loom apples grown in our organic orchard, and a line

of infused vodkas based on our founders’ authentic

Russian recipes. Each product’s name reflects the

nature of its ingredients.

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A PINT OF GLORY

Our entire product line also comes in 375mL “minis”. Our small

bottles are designed to be used with promotional packaging, so the

bottle shape is standard across the line so that we can purchase

greater bulk when ordering custom packaging.

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THOUGHTFULLY WORDED

Like many other liquors, our bottles are marked with our batch and

barrel identifier. Ours are hand-stamped in custom Pantone Oak &

Glory green, and emphasize how small our batches are.

On packaging, our ability to talk about the quality of our

ingredients is limited due to strict TTB COLA (Certificate of Label

Approval) regulations. For instance, we are not allowed to mention

either the presence nor absence of GMOs.

Although we employ organic farming methods in every sense

of the word, we cannot use the word organic on the bottle because

we are still working on our certification. This is why only the vod-

kas are labeled “organic”, as we actually be sourcing the primary

ingredient from a neighboring organic farm.

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PROMO | TRADE SHOW DISPLAY

When launching a brand new spirit, our first stop is

to actually find distribution. Our trade show setup is

designed to emphasize our farm origin and to high-

light our ingredients. Also, to look pretty darn cool.

Obviously, we want to create impact and leave a dis-

tinctly memorable impression.

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HIGHLIGHTING THE INGREDIENTS

Our little ingredient jars are designed to allow the audience to

really interact with our ingredients. They can touch them and

smell them and truly know that goes into their Fire Roasted Corn

Bourbon. Each tag lets them know a little bit about the origin story.

Malted barley is sprouted barley. The little

leaves on the seeds contain enzymes that

help with the fermentation process.

MALTED BARLEYBriess II Row

Non-GMO, grown without use of pesticides

or chemical fertilizers. Chosen for highest

sugar content amongst non-GMO corn.

HEIRLOOM CORNOak & Glory Farm

Certified organic and locally grown on a

family farm outside of Oregonia. Selected

to give added sweetness to the bourbon.

WINTER WHEATGurneyville Farms

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PROMO | MODULAR PRESS KITS

When we launch a product, there are times when we

want to make a great impression, and there are times

when we want to pull out all the stops and make the

best impression of all.

That’s where our promotional press kits comes in,

with a sample bottle, an informational booklet, and

something to house the two in. The book and bottle

are designed to fit perfectly in both the bag and the

rigid setup box. At the product launch, you get a bag. If

you’re a potential investor, we’ll give you a box.

As a startup microdistillery, we operate on the

absolute lowest end of wholesale. It is extremely

cost-prohibitive to get custom packaging when one

can barely buy in bulk. This has been designed into

the equation: Although our larger bottles are differ-

ent, all of our miniature products use the same bottle,

so we can order our bags and boxes at a greater bulk

discount and use them across the product line.

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MEDIA | WEB PRESENCE

As a small startup with limited distribution, we rely

on the miracle of the internet to help get the word out

through our website and Facebook accounts. On our

site, consumers can learn more about us, as well as

sign up for email updates about upcoming products.

If you’re looking to ever purchase from our

website—you’re out of luck because that’s legally

impossible. However, you can find out where we’re sold,

and even take a virtual tour of our farm

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MEDIA | VIRTUAL TOUR

Consumers can take a virtual reality tour of our farm

distillery via desktop or smartphone. This unique and

novel experience helps them further engage with our

brand. It also serves to emphasize our farm-focused

messaging, and helps reinforce our sense of place.

MEDIA | PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

Our audience can view our spiffy promotional video

online, which does a pretty good job of introducing

our company. Even better, it summarizes my thesis.

I edited the audio and video myself, so I do have the

capability to create an actual commercial in the future.

FUTURE | TASTING & TOURS

Consumers can content themselves with taking the

virtual tour now, but eventually we plan on having

tours and tastings directly at our farm in Oregonia,

Ohio. They will be able to see the entire process of how

their spirits are created, from seed to bottle, straight

from the source. They will be able to experience the

changes of the season, the cycles of the crops, depend-

ing on what day, what month, or year they visit. They

will really, truly know where their spirits come from.

GROWING SEASONSRESEARCH | DEVELOPMENT

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DEVELOPMENT

A farm. A distillery. A girl. And a thesis.

You may have guessed by now that Oak

& Glory might be slightly more real than

the average thesis, or else I’m just really,

really good at Photoshop. Both, actually.

I’ve been told that a thesis’ success

has little to do with how “real” the finished

project is, but rather, how successfully

the chosen problem was tackled using the

magic of graphic design. I hope my project

can stand on its own, even if everything

turned out to be mockups and mirrors.

But yes, Oak & Glory is a real com-

pany. It exists in the green hills of Oregonia,

Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. You can visit

it sometime. Or you can visit it online,

because the virtual tour is very much real

as well.

I didn’t start the company. Gene and

Alex did. I am, however, the creative direc-

tor and a junior partner. I did the naming

and branding and packaging and copy-

writing. When I first signed on, Oak &

Glory didn’t exist yet. It was “Old Grizzly

Spirits”—so named because Old Crow and

GROWING SEASONSYes, it’s a real company. How creative directing

a startup made a real designer out of me.

Old Grand-Dad and Old Forrester and Old

Anything were perfectly good names for

bourbon, and especially because the domain

name happened to be free.

I wasn’t a real designer back then

either. At least, I don’t think I was. By that

time I was already done with most of my

core classes, but I was half-sure and half-

hearted and had never released anything

into the real world.

While my classmates were getting

internships, I learned the ropes with Oak &

Glory. I learned about budgets and learned

to love sourcing. I learned to solve problems

with high stakes and real limitations, and

to project manage getting a brand off the

ground. I learned to design with meaning

and obsessive consideration.

Although all the products are mock-

ups and we’re only distilling bourbon at the

moment, everything in this book has been

designed for production, with very practical

considerations. The following pages contain

a brief sampling of my process.

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ORIGINS | OLD GRIZZLY SPIRITS

This was the original logo. It was bought using a spec work contest

on 99Designs (before I was around). Back then, it was a farm and a

distillery, but being a “farm distillery” wasn’t part of the brand nar-

rative. I actually did a semester’s worth of work using “Old Grizzly

Spirits” until I realized that in order for this to work, the name had

to be changed into something with real meaning.

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PACKAGING | CORKS

Designing premium packaging for Oak & Glory meant trying to

compromise between budget and added value, while working

around the limitations of our extremely, extremely small scale.

Designing unique packaging at the absolute bottom end of

wholesale presents a couple of particular challenges. The most

obvious one is that any additional packaging element adds much

more to our unit cost, because the less you order the more it costs

per unit. I got pretty good at hunting for vendors and suppliers and

striking the right balance to create the most value for the least

amount of money.

Another challenge in customization was finding ways for us

to be able to even qualify for minimum orders in the first place, as

our numbers are so small. I found solutions by designing as much

use for each element as possible.

Having a wood cork adds significant value to our product over

having a having a screw top. Having a cork that is varnished and

printed also sends a much more premium message than using a

generic indie natural wood cork. In order for us to qualify for our

cork manufacturer’s minimums, I designed all our products with

bottles that have the same neck diameter.

CARAMEL VARNISH

CHOCOLATE VARNISH

NATURAL VARNISH

NATURAL FINISH

UV LASER LASER GOLD TAMPOPRINT GOLD TAMPOPRINT

UV LASER GOLD TAMPOPRINT GRAY TAMPOPRINT GOLD TAMPOPRINT

BLACK TAMPOPRINT LASER LASER PRINT LASER PRINT

BLACK TAMPOPRINT LASER LASER LASER PRINT

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PACKAGING | BOURBON

Our Fire Roasted Corn Bourbon boasts packaging that is a balance

of investment versus budget. Since the bourbon is our first and

flagship product, we really wanted to give it some standout pack-

aging. The label is screen-printed, using a distinct bottle exclusive

to our French supplier that has never been used amongst bourbons.

The Long Island Bottle is relatively pricey and due to its shape,

cannot be decorated in-house. Our side product lines are so small

that it would be too cost-prohibitive to use this bottle, so for the

time being this is limited to our main bourbon product.

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PACKAGING | APPLE JACK

For the Apple Jack, I played up its frontier heritage using the

Moonshine bottle and a more rustic-style hand-lettering. Both the

Apple Jack and Vodka are only going to be produced in extremely

limited quantities. Their packaging has been designed with that in

mind. They utilize cheaper (though more generic) cylindrical bot-

tles that can both be affordably purchased at sub-wholesale rates.

Because the bottles are cylindrical, these bottles can also be quickly

and affordably decorated in-house using an Easy Labeler.

The bourbon bottles are screen-printed, but that would be

much too cost prohibitive for the Apple Jack and Vodkas because

of scale. Nevertheless, I wanted to products to not only look eclec-

tically cohesive, but also be transparent to showcase what is

actually in each bottle. In production, these bottles would be deco-

rated using transparent adhesive labels that emulate the effect of

screen-printing.

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PACKAGING | INFUSED VODKAS

The vodkas use the Nordic bottle, which you see very commonly

amongst craft and indie spirits because it is both attractive, and

attractively priced. It is by far the cheapest good-looking bottle,

and has no order minimums. Although I would not use this bot-

tle for our main line because it is so common, it is well-suited for

quick releases of small limited-run products. In production, the

label would be a clear adhesive label applied in-house on an Easy

Labeler. Though the bourbon is limited to all-white printing due to

screenprinting costs per color, here I took advantage of the afford-

able color and foil capabilities of clear adhesive labels.

Both bourbon and apple jack are singular products that exist

solidly in the American heartland. The vodkas are an example of

how a product line, with an extremely different product, would be

able to live and express itself in the Oak & Glory visual system.

& 135

AMERICANA MEETS SLAVIC FOLK ART

Both the founders are Russian, and the infused vodkas are made

with authentic Russian recipes. The challenge of this packaging

series was to design a product line that looked cohesive next to

the rest of the Oak & Glory brand, while still remaining true to

its authentic Russian narrative. I accomplished this by marrying

elements of Americana and Slavic folk art.

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REVISION 1

RESUBMIT WITH MARKED CHANGES

APPROVED WITH MARKED CHANGES

APPROVED

//Date:Signature:

www.signs-cincinnati.com

CLIENTWork Order#

DESIGNER

LOCATION

CONTACT

NAME DATE

This design is the property of Sign-A-Rama Tri-County. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2013.Colors are not exact. Be sure to review all spellings, numbers & colors. Sign-A-Rama is not responsible for errors once approved.

1 OF 1

YUSHI MAEDA

4211MONICA WU650-919-3871 / [email protected]

03/10/2014

OAK & GLORY FARM DISTILLERY1865 MURRAY ROAD, OREGONIA, OH

A DOUBLE-SIDE SANDBLASTED WOOD SIGN W/ RIDERINCLUDING 6x6 POSTS W/ CAPS (WILL BE STAINED DARK WALNUT)

24.25"

~44.0"

30.0"

8.0"

36.0"

5.0" 5.0"

STAINED DARK WALNUT

METALLIC COPPER

STANDARD WHITE

PMS 3292 C

DESIGN | BUSINESS SIGN

When everything is up and running, the distillery will only be open

for tours about half the year. The sign is designed with that in

mind, with a removable hang-sign.

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THANKS

I would like to thank and acknowledge the following people,

without whom this would not have been possible

First and foremost, my awesome husband

Rob, for his endless love and support,

through years of all-nighters and tears and

putting up with a house constantly explod-

ing in design school madness.

My Oak & Glory business partners,

Eugene Pyatigorsky and Alex Matsukevich,

for their teamwork and dedication, and for

letting me run amok creatively with Old

Grizzly Spirits.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My friend and mentor David Hake, for

his faith and guidance.

I would also like to thank: Song Yuhan,

for watching my back in China. Rebecca

Sanders, for using her company to distrib-

ute my research survey. Rami Geller, for

his early advice and input. Joe Danzer, for

going out of his way to take on our small

photoshoot. And finally, Olesya Strysek, for

her incredible product photography.

&

&

MONICA WU | MFA THESIS

Oak & Glory

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