We created the visual identity for Hiotissa, the first official bottled souma from Chios island, in Greece. Souma is a traditional alcoholic drink, similar to tsipouro, made from sun-dried figs and until now was only distilled in small batches in homemade unofficial distilleries.
Working closely with the distillery owner Christos, we developed a product identity based on various traditions and local art elements rooting in the history of the island.
Starting with the logotype, we got our inspiration from a local artist and the way he used to sign his work. We modified the font we picked to have the characteristic long “tails” on the vertical strokes. As a result we got an elegant tall logotype filled with history without being too heavy and restrictive.
On the next part we worked on the label, trying to apply the traditional technique of lace and embroidery on the shape of the label. To go a step further, we choose a special paper that can change its opacity at a certain temperature, so we got a different opacity at certain areas, that way we can imitate the laces holes by letting more light pass through the paper, creating a beautiful effect on the bottle.
The overall typography and layout is a blend of traditional and modern elements such as the embroidery style symbol of the fig, combined with a serif and san-serif fonts for the level 2 and 3 details on the label, with various print technics like embossing, blind foil printing, gold foil printing and custom diecut we added extra value to a premium product.
Last step was to create a custom wooden cap, inspired by the hats of the traditional suits with a characteristic concave shape.
