In collaboration with packaging agency Stranger & Stranger, the brief was to implement the agency’s narrative focused strategy by creating a comprehensive background to define the branding for a luxury alcohol brand. including naming, label, box, and bespoke bottle design.
ABOUT
Blazhko Vodka is a celebration of both the rich heritage and the forward-thinking possibilities of vodka. Inspired by the precision of scientific refinement, I sought to reinvent how this ubiquitous spirit could be approached. While many vodka brands focus on distillation quality, I noticed an untapped potential in exploring a scientific approach.
This led me to Sergey Blazhko, a Russian astronomer who studied the movement of stars. This connected seamlessly with the Russian space program and the meticulous science behind vodka. From there, I drew a conceptual thread to nuclear fusion—the process that powers stars and creates the elements that are the building blocks of our universe, complimenting vodka’s foundational role in countless cocktails.
This narrative became the foundation for my bottle design, emphasizing both science and artistry. The design itself uses precise, deliberate lines, symbolizing wavelengths and celestial orbits. To create contrast, I used these lines to create small, ornate illustrations that juxtapose the restrained and minimalist label. For both the bottle and the box, my focus was on crafting a striking silhouette that speaks for itself, while maintaining a strong emphasis on typographic clarity to enhance its bold, yet sophisticated aesthetic.
TOOLS
Illustrator, Blender, Photoshop
128°05’31”E
SVOBODNY, RUSSIA
A Place to Call Home Nestled along the Zeya river, Blazhko is proud to call Svobodny its home. The small city has a long history as a small rail-centric town bridging Russia and Asia. "Svobodny," means "free" in Russian, and it was named in honor of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which symbolized a new era of freedom and development in the region.
This name would reach a new meaning when the Svobodny Cosmodrome was built, hosting several rocket and satellite launches just north of the small town. The city would once again become a hub of innovation, and a bridge into a new frontier.
The Blazhko Effect Sergey Blazhko, was an esteemed Russian astronomer who served as the head of the Moscow Observatory from 1920-1931. He discovered what is known as the Blazhko effect, a cyclical change in the brightness of stars we use to measure distance in space.
Its mysterious nature continues to confound astronomers, and a proper explanation has still evades scientists. Further understanding the Blazhko effect could aid as we move beyond our planet and begin navigating the stars.
Looking Out, While Looking InBlazhko looks forward, forging a new way to understand vodka. Approaching the spirit from the molecular level, creating something perfectly refined. Pushing the envelope of craftsmanship and technology while drawing on the its great history. Vodka is the building block of mixology, likewise the origin of all the elements are found in the stars.
The closed appearance of the bottle’s packaging is designed to be remeniscent of a space capsule. Rather than focus on ornate and illustrative graphic elements for the box, a strong angular sillhouette was chosen to compliment the organic shape of the bottle while showcasing glimpses of the bottle inside.
A strong vertical presence is reinforced by interplay of the in the design language of the bottle. Design elements such as the slim rising triangle emphasize the height of the bottle, complimented by vertical text and linear elements that flow up the back of the bottle.
MID-TIER BOTTLES When developing the high tier bottle design, a lot of emphasis was placed on the physical bottle itself, that presented a challenge when translating that same essence to a more traditional bottle for the mid tier design.
APPROACHING LABEL DESIGN
Repeating design elements across both bottles was crucial for developing a design system that feels cohesive and unified. As a result, both bottles prominently feature round seals, repeated linear elements, and silver foil.
Distinguishing the bottles as seperate price points was also consideration in the development of the labels. The focal point of the high tier bottle is the shape of the glass, so the label is intentional scaled back in complexity whan compared to the mid tier. Early sketches for the mid tier are centered on how to push a more dynamic composition relative to the high tier bottle.