For people, good looks aren’t everything, but for packaging design that needs to instantly catch consumers’ attention, it’s essential.

Which is why Constellation Brands’ textured glass wine bottle manufactured by Ardagh Glass Packaging (AGP) for the Crafters Union brand should draw more than passing interest. The bottle calls attention through four standout aspects:

1. Packaging design: the tattoo-style illustrations that provide the texture were designed by One Design, Auckland, New Zealand. This is no simple geometric pattern, viewed in closeup reveals a network of finely flowered tendrils throughout. There’s even a tiny star thrown in for added interest.

2. Technical wizardry: the designer’s vision was replicated into the glass bottle design using AGP’s sculptured embossing software. This enabled Ardagh's Product Design team to deboss the high-definition artwork into the glass, adding textures and enhancements to a higher standard than traditional glass packaging design. Unlike two-dimensional debossing, this sculpturing technique is said by the supplier to “create intricate, life-like detail, depth, and dimension” for premium glass bottles.

In short, the technique worked to perfection.

3. Thoughtful branding: the embossing of “Crafters Union” near the bottom of the bottle increases brand awareness.

I like the play of light due to the bottle’s concave base (known as a punt) behind those embossed letters along with the full-body texturing.

4. The finishing touch: the colorfully decorated shrink-film neck band appears all the bolder due to the front-panel’s tastefully subtle label design. In fact, the green ferny leaves on the Pinot Gris neckband perfectly complement the textured embossing.

The result is a 360-degree decorated 750-mL Claret wine bottle that delivers exceptional shelf appeal in a premium, sustainable glass bottle.

"Even with such an intricate design, Ardagh Glass Packaging brought our vision to life for the Crafters Union bottle," says Victoria Clark, Constellation Brands’ head of marketing - growth. "We’re thrilled to see it on the shelf for our Australian and New Zealand consumers to enjoy."

The Crafters Union project employed Ardagh's Development Machine, a flexible glass-forming system announced in September 2018. It was used both for the sampling process and the initial small batch run to provide speed-to-market for the custom bottle design. More details about the process and the machine are seen in the video below.

"[We’re] passionate about innovation through glass decoration and enjoys pushing the technological boundaries of what we can achieve for brands such as Crafters Union," says Darrell Wineman, vice president, food, wine & spirits, AGP North America. "We continue to focus on innovations in complex bottle texturing, as well as new design techniques and manufacturing capabilities, to create an extra dimension of creativity and branding for customers like Constellation Brands."

Crafters Union brand launched in 2017 in Australia and New Zealand as a paper-wrapped bottle and around 2019 the brand orchestrated a major line extension with the introduction of a canned version.

Packaging Digest learned that when the rollout is complete, the bottled varietals will consist of Chardonnay, Rose, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. A check of one online retailer had pricing at AU $13/US $9.75, which is a steal considering the complexity of the packaging and the 4.6 star rating from customers.

This latest innovation drives the brand’s packaging design to a new level. Considering that 2022 is the United Nations International Year of Glass (IYOG) "commemorating the essential role of glass packaging in a sustainable society", Crafters Union is a perfect example of the true (state-of-the) art of bottle making.