Born in 1995 in France from the entrepreneurial spirit of innovative brasseurs, Desperados is the world’s first tequila flavoured beer. Despite pioneering the spirit beer category, Desperados brand and packaging design has remained untouched since it was first introduced more than 20 years ago.
With its iconic logo, heavy bottle and tactile effects the Desperados packaging has been a great driver of the brand equity. However, the traditional design did not capture the true festivity of the brand and with external factors, such as increased competition, it was time for a change.
Brand owner Heineken came to long standing partner Multi-Color with a clear design brief, focusing on the original brand’s upgrade and consistency amongst line extensions. The two teams have worked together diligently during the design development phase to fulfil the objective and deliver a more contemporary aesthetic.
The finished set of labels produced at Multi-Color Wales incorporates an impressive range of printing technologies: Classically, the tactile label range has been printed using a screen flexo process. Now, with MCC’s Gravtouch technology Desperados can take advantage of the benefits of gravure printing and still achieve the tactility levels synonymous with the brand identity.
