Celebrating a successful relaunch
Geldermann Sekt presents itself with a special packaging design
In the high-end sparkling wine segment, design is of central importance. For this reason, the marketing professionals at the Rotkäppchen-Mumm Sektkellereien have fully revamped the premium brand Geldermann in recent years. In addition to the bottle shape and label, the cardboard packaging was also relaunched, giving greater focus to the traditional core brand with innovative elements. The fine gift box was designed and produced by Karl Knauer.
On its way to becoming a premium brand
Until three years ago, the sparkling wine brand Geldermann, which belongs to Rotkäppchen-Mumm Sektkellereien GmbH, boasted a highly refined appearance. In early 2017, the brand identity underwent a complete strategic realignment for the retail food industry. The aim was to position and establish Geldermann as a premium brand. A new, authentic look was intended to draw greater attention to the traditional manufacture and the French roots of the long-established enterprise, which was roughly 180 years old. To this day, Geldermann sparkling wine is produced using the bottle fermentation method and it matures in a wine cellar under the castle hill in Breisach that is over 600 years old.
“Our job was to produce fine packaging that would be perceived as something special at the point of sale, while being down to earth in terms of its appearance and price,” says Thomas Schultheiß, Key Account Manager at Karl Knauer, describing the challenges of this project. “With our many years of experience – particularly in the beverage industry – we were very quickly able to develop and present a solution for the marketing professionals at Geldermann that precisely met their expectations.”
The combination of silver film and relief embossing created a matt/gloss effect on the sparkling wine packaging with a mysterious shine. “With development time being so short, we were able to produce the new-look packaging for the three varieties Classique, Rosé and Brut and deliver it to the food retailers by summer 2017.”
Sales success: Christmas edition with chalkboard function
“After our excellent experience in the design and production of the new Geldermann packaging, we were certain that we wanted to get the Karl Knauer experts on board for the special editions planned for Christmas 2018 and 2019,” explained Adam Hartung, Head of Purchasing for Get-Up and Packaging at Rotkäppchen-Mumm Sektkellereien GmbH. “We made a conscious decision to avoid classic Christmas motifs, and instead follow the demand for individual gifts,” Hartung continued.
The box, designed in timeless dark blue, was given a special coating that could be written on with the enclosed piece of chalk. This meant the sparkling gift came with space for individual drawings and personal messages. The inspiration behind this special gift packaging was the dark-blue slate chalkboard look of the brand identity and the two chalk-drawing portraits of the founders of the premium sparkling wine company, Peter and Alfred Geldermann.
“To make it possible to enclose the chalk quickly and securely, we designed the sparkling wine packaging with an on-pack function. A holder was created in the box’s dust flap where the chalk could be stored and protected from breakage,” says Thomas Schultheiß, recalling the subtle, yet special feature of this project.
Chalkboard as a trend looks: anything but “old school”
“Rotkäppchen-Mumm Sektkellereien GmbH is one of our clients that recognised the potential of chalkboard paint and made perfect use of the trend,” explains Thomas Schultheiß from Karl Knauer. “The possibility of quickly and easily adding a personal touch, an inscription or a message to a gift, represents real added value for the buyer. This stimulates their creativity and thus draws attention to the product.”
