Story by Christine Souza • Studio photos by Paul Kirchner Label photos courtesy of Auston Design Group Visual storytelling reaches broad and niche markets THE ART OF THE ab
When shopping for wine, how much do you rely on its label? Do you opt for the bottle with a label featuring a traditional vineyard motif? Select an adventurous sailboat image? Or choose a haunting scene, hoping the wine will be just as thrilling? With myriad designs on many California wines, Tony Auston, creative director and owner of Emeryville-based Auston Design Group, says there’s more to a wine label’s story than just an eye-catching design. “I think of myself as more of a creative problem solver with artistic skills and an artistic eye,” said Auston, who specializes in branding and packaging of wine, beer, spirits and luxury goods. “Every (client) that comes to us has their own unique story, and we have to find a way to tell it and show it.” Auston, who has been in the business more than 25 years, works with his creative team to serve clients from small boutique brands to medium-sized, family-owned wineries to large, multi-brand producers, including Bogle Vineyards and Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Auston’s firm transforms each client’s idea, story or locale into marketing magic. “As a graphic designer, you have a customer who has expectations and a target audience that you’re trying to speak to,” he said. “You have to use art skills along with deductive reasoning to develop a package or brand that’s going to function well on-shelf and attract your target consumer to pick it up and put it into their shopping cart.”
Tony Auston, who specializes in branding and packaging of wine, beer, spirits and luxury goods, stands next to examples of his work displayed atop a vintage bar in his design studio.
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