From the mouth of babes.
Sometimes you need that extra pick-me-up at the beginning of the week when youre bombarded by work. A little motivational quote, a pat on the back for job well done, maybe a $5 gift card to a coffee joint. I get a thoughtful note hidden in my note pad of things to do this week. One being not to suck. Thanks kids.
The wooden beer sign is making a comeback folks. You heard it here first. Dubuque Bier Co. and myself wanted to create one-of-a-kind wooden beer sign for all their loyal customers. We cut, sanded, painted, and screen printed these beauties till we reached perfection. My task was to design something that not only grabs your attention but looks sexy hanging on a wall in any dark tavern.
Matt Folstad of www.FGCCreative.com was tasked with finding a clever new way to screen print on a thick piece of wood. Through trial and error he came up with an ingenious way to transfer the design perfectly onto the chunk of wood. You can see the results above as well as the process below. For more info on Duber related activities find them on Facebook
Now for sale in the Zalaznik Design Shop.
Due to popular demand I designed some t-shirts with everyone's favorite Duber. This screen print will be a halftone print to give Mr. Duber depth on the t-shirt. The more I work with halftone prints the more I like the results. I invite you to go to my shop and purchase one for the whole family.
I wanted to postpone that cycle. They say "THANKS", these are cool. They put in wallet. Does that translate into a sale, probably not, BUT you did make it to phase 2. Business cards are slightly overrated and usually end up forgotten and tossed out. Let's face it, if you didn't sell them on your communication skills and talent you're not going to seal the deal with glossy cards with sharp edges.
Over the course of a year I had the opportunity to work with the good folks at Dubuque Bier Co. They reached out to me one day before a single hop was even brewed. They gave me the elevator pitch and without hesitation I was on board (I've never been good at negotiating).
Dubuque Bier Co. wanted to brew a bier for the people of Dubuque. We talked about the history of Dubuque and all the potential opportunities it offered. Dubuque has a rich history (the oldest in the state)so we wanted to capitalize on that. For those of you who don't know me I live in a fantasy world of the Rat Pack and when men wore suits and drank whiskey (or bier). So any opportunity I had to design a vintage bier brand I was happier than a seagull with a French fry.
Designed by Adam Zalaznik Design
Dubuque Bier Co. came up with the name "Duber" to show some love to Dubuque and its people. The name was set and the research and branding began. I dove deep into vintage beer labels, packaging, concepts, terrible ideas, and a couple fresh ones. I used inspiration from my personal background to what I thought would be a label that would stick out in a sea of beers. Everyone and their mother these days have a brewery or have a friend who brews their own beer that taste like burnt coffee mixed with motor oil. "Yeah man, smooth on the taste buds" (Dumps in sink while in bathroom).
After a few weeks of back and forth and waiting for the government to take their sweet time approving it all, we were ready. It started out in test markets on draft. Dubuque Bier Co. took the time to get feedback from its fans and critics. The result, a bier that is smooth, crisp, blah, blah, generic words, it's legit, trust me. They listened to what the people had to say and made the necessary changes to the formula and brewing process. What you get is a bier that even this whiskey cat can drink.
I am delighted with the results. I feel the packaging is strong, eye catching, and just my style. I hope you agree and I invite you to go out and purchase a six pack now. As of January 30, 2017 they are available at all Hy-Vee Dubuque stores. You can also find them in Dubuque's vast amount of bars and taverns (we have a ridiculous amount of bars kids). Just look for the ON TAP table tents and posters HOPEFULLY wallpapered all over the establishment..... and don't forget, tell them Adam sent you. They wont know what you're talking about but just do it for me man.
CHEERS!
I have had the opportunity to work with some old friends on a project that went from a recipe among close friends to a sought after product. I am excited to announce the kick-off of VINO CHILL, a PREMIUM FROZEN WINE SLUSH MIX! Made right here in Dubuque, Iowa.
I built the identity of Vino Chill from the packaging design all the way to the website. I think people will not only love the look and feel of the design but the product itself. I invite you to check out the site and order some for your next gathering. You wont be disappointed. www.vinochill.co
Vino Chill has become a hit with wine lovers and non-wine drinkers. Go to www.vinochill.co to learn more about this up and coming product. If you LIKE and SHARE this post you will be put into a drawing to win 1 of 5 Vino Chill Mix boxes.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to watching this product fly off the shelves. -Cheers
