Zeta Beer · Packaging
How can playful design invite people in instead of intimidating them?
How can a brand remain visually consistent across physical and digital touchpoints?
Context
Academic packaging project developed for the Zeta Beer competition, focused on exploring illustration as a central branding tool.
Objective
To create a distinctive beer packaging system that communicates a relaxed, contemporary Mediterranean lifestyle while appealing to a young, Gen Z audience.
Concept & Approach
The visual identity is built around colour, illustration and storytelling.
Three labels were designed as part of a cohesive series, each representing a different moment of Mediterranean life — floating fruit in the sea, a coastal town and a laid-back beach scene. Illustration plays a key role in shaping the brand’s personality, creating a sense of atmosphere and escapism rather than relying on traditional beer aesthetics.
Packaging & Digital Translation
Alongside the packaging proposal, a social media concept was developed to extend the brand’s visual language into digital platforms.
The tone of voice is playful, casual and trend-aware, using short, punchy phrases and lifestyle-driven visuals to create content that feels effortless, scroll-stopping and consistent across both packaging and social media.
Outcome
This project demonstrates how illustration-led branding can create a strong emotional connection, translating cultural references into a flexible visual system that works across physical and digital touchpoints.
What I learned
This project strengthened my understanding of how illustration and colour can act as core branding tools, not just decorative elements. I learned how to build a cohesive visual system that translates cultural references into both physical packaging and digital content, while maintaining consistency across touchpoints. It also reinforced the importance of thinking about brand tone, audience and scalability from the earliest stages of the design process.
