Inspired by genius
March 14, 2022
A new bottle for Monnalisa red wine range combines contemporary pop art, graffiti and neon colours with the most iconic of Renaissance masterpieces to engage and excite younger consumers.
When winery Leonardo da Vinci (part of Caviro Group, the largest wine producer in Italy), decided to launch its Monnalisa range, one of the driving forces for the packaging design was the story behind the product. The wines – a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Toscana Rosso, and Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore – are made at Caviro’s vineyards in the Tuscany, Abruzzo and Emilia Romagna regions of Italy.
Anna Casodi, Brand Manager at Caviro explains: “Monnalisa wines are born from a synergy between experienced viticulturalists and Caviro’s vocation for innovation. These new wines are contemporary with a modern interpretation of the viticultural tradition of their regions of origin.”
Deciding that the iconic face of La Gioconda (Leonardo da Vinci’s subject in the ‘Mona Lisa’), was the most natural choice to represent the wines, the producers launched an international contest for artists, with the brief of reinterpreting the work in a modern way. Entries ranged from street to tattoo art and from photography to painting, with each artist offering their own interpretation of the Mona Lisa.
The winning artist, New Yorker Ian Anderson, is a photographer, graffiti artist and graphic designer with a penchant for portraits. His design – which was brought to life through a collaboration with Italian graphic design agency Officina Grafica – features embossed detail over the image of the Mona Lisa including graffiti in bright neon colours, providing tactile relief and adding to the sensory experience of consumers.
Anna Casodi adds: “O-I : EXPRESSIONS has allowed us to realise the artist’s original idea in the most appropriate way, with the level of detail we were looking for in a design that covers a very large part of the bottle. The impact is really strong – particularly when it is experienced physically. We’ve had a positive response from our importers who are now expanding the business area they first imagined – a good result!”
The Monnalisa range was launched on 7 February 2022 and is available in specialist wine shops and restaurants worldwide.
“The design is quite complex with an embossing effect which requires layers of screen printing. The bottle not only demonstrates the 3D capability of O-I : EXPRESSIONS RELIEF, it also showcases what digital decoration can do in terms of brightness of colours.” “To achieve this effect using traditional screen printing would have meant heavy investment in new hardware. Changing the design after the initial prototype, even slightly, would have required more investment. With digital printing, we can work with customers using a ‘trial and error’ process, and they can hold the prototype bottles in their hands to appreciate not only the design but also the tactile feel of the package.”