We were asked by E&J Gallo Winery to rebrand one of the growing brands of wine in their portfolio, Dark Horse, a modern expression of wine from California. Dark Horse is a brand known for delivering surprisingly exceptional wine at an affordable price. By focusing on perceptions of quality and taste, along with a bolder, more uplifting brand story in both packaging and communications, we set out to create a visual world and a 360 branding portfolio for Dark Horse as it boldly moves forward to reach new consumers.

Our approach was to elevate the brand’s quality & premium perception and consider the entire packaging portfolio, developing a flexible design system that allows for future innovation to guide and inspire the entire brand look and feel, including the touch points of portfolio strategy, POS and collateral materials, retail inspiration, and brand content. We also wanted to help increase competitiveness on shelf among the varietal set through an uplifting new branding and packaging. Our key challenge as a design agency was to amplify the desire for the brand through a bolder look and feel.

We set out to redefine what is possible for the brand, starting with a new look and feel through the label design, elevating and refreshing the packaging to match the quality and taste that the brand is known for by its loyal consumers. The labels are printed on elegant, premium paper stock in both metallic and matte finish, amplifying color, flavors, taste, the icon, and the savoir-faire that Dark Horse is celebrated for. The Dark Horse icon has a front and center placement on the label, and the navigation system of the label is simple, allowing the consumer to see in a glance what waits inside the bottle.