In the last blog post I’ve covered what the best time is to consider a personalized trophy or award. In this one today, I’ll be sharing my thoughts about custom trophy designs and how these can help your brand. What different types of trophies exist and I’ll be sharing a few custom trophy ideas. I hope it’ll serve as good food for thought whenever you might need a custom trophy. Should you have any comment or feedback, best drop me a message on LinkedIN.
When I was a kid I did a lot of sports. Mostly football, basketball, swimming and table tennis. Whenever any of my friends and I participated in a competition, the medals and trophies were a big deal to us. The vast majority of events had very similar type of trophies. Back then I did not know why. After a while it was boring.
The rare events that had unique trophies were special. Amongst adults, I don’t believe it is much different. Yes, I now understand that not everyone who is handing out trophies will put in the same amount of effort into developing nice ones. I now understand the role the budget plays in making these type of decisions.
By using custom trophies the organizers are sending a strong message of quality and attention to detail. With custom trophies it is much easier to align the trophy with the brand. Whilst one can personalize standard trophies, e.g. with a printed logo, the date and the name of the event, custom trophies offer more options. You can pick a particular material and the entire design can be adapted to what makes most sense for your brand. If e.g. one of the brand values is creativity custom trophies allow you to go all in. This way the value is communicated both internally and externally.
Some clients use the term instagramability. It refers to the likelihood of a product, be it a parader in a night club or a trophy, to be shared on social media. With a custom trophy that is well designed the instagramability score will be higher. This results in brand exposure to a wider audience.
Custom trophies are better for the participants, too. Whoever is involved in the organization of the award ceremony, they’ll feel better about a custom trophy than a standard one. Those who are competing for it, will feel more motivated if the trophy is a well designed custom one. Nobody likes to have a cheap looking, boring trophy on one’s shelf.
There exist all kinds of trophies. From many different materials. In many different designs.
The most common type of trophy is the cup trophy. These stem from ancient times when chalices and cups were considered valuables and were common award items. Most often they are made from metal, in silver or gold color.
Unlike cup trophies plaques don’t have a true 3D shape. They are almost flat metal pieces. To such a product, akin to many keyholders or pin badges, we here in PES say the product has a 2,5D design. On the backside plaques are flat and on the top side they have a relief. Debossed and/or embossed areas. They often come in a cardboard or wooden box. Sometimes even with a small printed card inside that carries a message relevant to the event and receiver.
Trophies and awards sometimes take the form of objects that are to be hung onto a wall. Most often these are made from printed metal, plastic or wood.
Medals are very common award items. They are often combined with additional, larger types of trophies, like a cup trophy. Most often round in shape and made from metal, medals are attached to ribbons, so that one can carry them around the neck. A subcategory are medals of honor, which are commonly used in organisations such as the military.
Trophies can be mostly made from a figurine that is often attached to a base element made from a different type of material, e.g. a metal figurine and a wooden base.
A very common type of trophy. A 3D piece made from acrylic glass, often in a geometric form, with something inside that looks like a 3D object. It is etched into the acrylic glass.
A lot of trophies are made from glass or acrylic glass. They can be personalized via engraving or print.
A relevant object, linked to the brand world, that is replicated. This is another very common category of trophies and awards.
Think about the more artsy shapes here. A sculpture but not a figurine. No cup either. No medal or plaque.
1. Out of office
In collaboration with BBDO, the Croatian National Tourism Board managed a brand awareness campaign named “Out of Office”. The most creative “Out of Office” messages got an award. The product has been designed by BBDO and is a beautiful example of a budget type of award that still looks unique. The product is made from several pieces of light blue acrylic glass material connected to each other.
2. Heineken
For more than 15 years now, we’ve been crafting custom Point of Sale material and branded merchandise for Heineken. One of their internal events was an award ceremony for the best sales representatives. As the top award we made a trophy that consisted out of a Heineken glass replica made from metal and a large base.
3. MaiStar
Maistra is the name of a hotel group. As their guest you can become a member of the MaiStar Rewards Club and enjoy exclusive benefits. It is a loyalty programme for which their agency partner, Bruketa&Žinić&Grey, developed the below award.
4. ICT Gold
The ICT Gold Award is a Croatian national award for the best ICT implementation. It is made from polished brass with an engraved ICT logo.
5. Croatian exporters
The National Croatian Exporters organisation hosts an annual award ceremony for the companies that achieved the best export results. The product is made from solid metal, attached to a solid wood base.
6. Rotary Gear
Conceptualised and designed by Ana Banić Göttlicher, this product represents the annual award of the Croatian Chamber of Mechanical Engineers. It consists of four fragmented gear segments, each of which has six teeth. Since there are four different levels of recognition, there are varied materials used for this custom award.
7. ATP Croatia Umag
After more than 30 years of organizing the ATP Croatia Open Umag tennis tournament, the company that stands behind this event, Plava Laguna, decided it was time for a redesign of their trophy. Actually not to redesign but reinterpret the existing trophy.
The goal was to find a more modern look and to replace crystal with metal. Our client’s design partner, Andrija Previšić, came up with a new concept. Our role was to help develop and make it. The products have been crafted in our workshop located in Zagreb, Croatia.
Custom trophies are a common sight in many different industries. They are tools for recognising extraordinary achievements in a way that reflects the unique culture of the particular industry. Below I’ll describe a few famous awards, categorised by industry, plus present fresh trophy concepts for the majority of these industries.
Education and Academia
Not a trophy in the traditional sense, the Nobel Medal is the most prestigious award in more than just one field. The medal carries a relief of Alfred Nobel’s profile. More than anything the design of this award communicates tradition.
The Pulitzer Prize Medal, is awarded in 24 categories, relating to journalism, literature, and musical composition. The medal has a relief on both sides and is presented in an elegant cherry-wood box with brass hardware.
Culinary
The most well know award in the culinary industry is the Michelin star. The award comes in the form of a square shaped, thin wall item. The product is made from metal and printed.
Other notable trophies and awards are the James Beard Award in the US and the Bocuse d’Or Trophy in France, which is often called the culinary Olympics. Each winner of the first receives a medal with a relief of the founder’s profile. Each winner of the second receives a trophy with a 3D figurine. The figurine represents a male chef, Bocuse himself, and is made from metal. With either a copper, silver or gold color finish.
Advertising and Media
The Cannes Lions Trophy symbolises achievements in advertising and media. The design featues a metal 3D lion, mounted on a black rectangular base.
The Clio Awards is the most prestigious advertising festival in the USA, founded in 1959. It is often referred to as the Oscars of the advertising industry. The trophy looks quite similar. It comes in four different versions: Grand, gold, silver and bronze.
Architecture and Design Industry
The Pritzker Architecture Prize is a bronze medallion that carries a relief on both sides. It symbolises the cultural value of architectural work.
The AIA Gold Medal is awarded by the American Institute of Architects. The award is a gold medal with classical design elements.
The Red Dot Design Award is a printed A4 sheet of paper in a silver frame. The competition dates back to 1954 and is taking place in Essen, Germany.
Corporate and Business Industry
The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Award is based on a technology inspired design, featuring digital numbers or geometric shapes. The main goal is to communicate innovation and rapid growth.
Founded in 1986, the E&Y Entrepeneur Of The Year Award has expanded to close to 60 countries. It honors business leaders for their achievements and entrepreneurial spirit. In most countries the award is made from metal and acrylic glass. Attached to a black base which is either made from wood or MDF.
Music
The Grammy Award, in the shape of a golden gramophone, mounted onto a black base, is a classic symbol of musical achievement. Awarded across various genres, its vintage design represents the timelessness of music.
In terms of its design, the Brit Award, is special. Because each year a different well-known artist is in charge of its design. This way it reflects the contemporary nature of the music industry.
Fashion
The CFDA Fashion Award is awarded by The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). It is a modern trophy in the shape of a human figure, made from silver finished metal.
The Fashion Awards are a UK related ceremony. The trophies are designed by famous artists or designers, representing the creativity inherent in the fashion industry.
Automotive
The Motor Trend Car of the Year Award often features an aerodynamic design, symbolising the movement inherent in this industry. The shape is often a stylized car, wheel or another car part. The award represents innovation and achievement in automotive design and engineering. This award, having debuted in 1949, was the first publication to name a Car of the Year.
The Movin’On Challenge Design, formerly known as the Michelin Design Challenge, is a sustainable mobility design competition. Each year the organizers announce a new theme. Like the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award, the Movin’On Challenge Design trophy often incorporates an automotive part.
Sports
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is made of 18 carat gold. This award trophy features two humans lifting up our planet. It is 36,8cm high and weighs a bit more than 6kg. This trophy represents the global unity and competitive spirit of soccer.
Each year the Vince Lombardi Trophy is awarded to the National Football League’s champion. The team that wins the Super Bowl. The trophy is made of sterling silver and shows a football in a kicking position, on a tall stand.
Entertainment
The Academy Award, also know as The Oscar, is probably the most recognized trophy in the world. The iconic golden statue depicts a knight holding a sword. It symbolizes achievement in film and is present annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
The MTV Video Music Award, also called The Moonman, features an astronaut holding an MTV flag. The Moonman trophy is a playful, innovative design which represents MTV’s creative and youthful brand positioning.
In conclusion, all of the above examples show how custom trophies are not just awards. They are powerful material representations of the immaterial domain. Because they convey values, achievements, and prestige of individuals, organizations and entire industries. Through its creative design, quality materials, and symbolic representation, these trophies elevate the brands behind them and foster relationships with employees, customers, and other business partners.
Ivica Baraba
"In PES I get to work on many custom trophy projects. I’ve been doing this since 2004. It intrigues me to delve into brand worlds and determine what products can help a client achieve their business goals. It is an exceptionally creative and dynamic industry to be a part of.”
In this blog post I write about personalised utensils, physical objects, that help you develop the visibility of your brand. I’ll cover what they are, what role they play, which ones you can personalise, how to personalise them, how to make sure they don’t lose their luster and at the end I’ll present a few examples.
In general, personalised utensils refer to cutlery and kitchen tools that are customised per the unique preferences of a brand. For the purpose of this blog post, I will focus on utensils that are used by brand ambassadors who represent a drinks brand. This is one of the industries in which personalised utensils are used most.
Personalised, particularly custom brand ambassador utensils, can help your brand stand out in many ways.
Unique style: By using utensils that are uniquely representing your specific brand you automatically set yourself apart from other brands. Unique shapes, colors, patterns.
Memorable experiences: Personalised utensils can serve as conversation starters. Picture a premium spirit tasting, hosted by a brand ambassador. Everyone will be exposed to the utensils he will be using.
Brand perception: Personalised utensils demonstrate an elevated attention to detail and thoughtfulness. Consumers are likely to interpret this by perceiving your brand to be of higher value.
Specific purpose: Personalised or custom utensils can be made with a special focus on functionality and comfort. This assures they don’t only look good but are also extra practical. This proves that your brand values both aesthetics and functionality.
Brand storytelling: When using personalised or custom utensils you have a chance to express your culture or a specific theme. To tell your brand story. A good way to do this are replicas. The following item, the Reyka Mini Still, represents a miniature version of one of the six original stills. These are located in Iceland. The black rocks represent the original lava stones which are used as part of the distilling process of this premium vodka.
Branded merchandise: Personalised utensils can not only be used by brand ambassadors but by consumers, too. This is an opportunity for gifting. Depending on the product, this ranges from small giveaways to prestige VIP gift items. To consumers these items are often desirable and in some cases even treated as collectibles.
Your brand enthusiasts will particularly be eager to own them. There are for example Facebook groups in which members share insights into how to obtain branded utensils of a certain brand. Throughout the years we here at PES have received a lot of enquiries from individual consumers. They ask us if we’d be able to sell them certain personalised utensils of their favourite brand.
There are many utensils out there that can be personalised.
Cutlery: spoons, forks, knives.
Bar tools: ladle, jigger, strainer, mixing glass, wine key, muddler, pourer, cutting board, ice bucket, peeler, zester, bar spoon, bottle opener, cocktail shaker
Serving utensils: serving and ice tongs, cake servers, salad servers, tray, cheeseboard.
Specialty utensils: there are endless possibilities to create personalised or custom utensils. Think about examples such as chopsticks, cheese knives, ice cream scoops. The list is endless: dippers, special cutting and slicing tools.
The decision how to best personalise your utensils has to be based on your brand identity, the product and your target audience’s preferences. There exist many methods, such as CNC or laser engraving, hotstamping, printing, electroplating, etching and coloring. Utensils can be personalised via custom shapes, too.
If you plan on using your utensil as a gift item you will want to pay attention to its individual packaging, too. Your goal is to elevate that first impression when a consumer is receiving your gift.
How to take care of personalised utensils will differ depending on the type of product. Particularly on the material and the quality level. The best thing to do is to follow the care instructions your supplier should provide you with.
You or your supplier might manage 3rd party tests, e.g. a food safety, a dishwasher safety, maybe even a salt spray test. A salt spray test is used for metal items, e.g. a stainless steel jigger. Via a salt spray chamber you can simulate how the product will look after a few years of usage. Essentially, it gives you insight into the durability of your product. Before you start the bulk production phase.
For the vast majority of personalised utensils with delicate finishes you will want to hand wash them only and avoid any abrasive cleaners. Avoidance of prolonged exposure to heat and proper storage are important aspects in order to properly take care of your personalised utensils. Especially utensils that are personalised via print can easily fade from exposure to direct sunlight.
When it comes to wooden items, e.g. cheese trays, you will want to regularly oil them, avoid soaking them in water and any dishwashing.
There exist a vast amount of personalised utensils. Let me present three PES ones. These have, as all of our products, been made in our own workshop, located in Zagreb, Croatia.
An example of a custom utensil that at the same time has been used as a gift item towards consumers is the Hendrick’s Jigger. The client had first asked us to develop a concept for an on-pack item that was meant to be used in the Global Travel Retail (GTR) channel. As part of a gift set that included a bottle of Hendrick’s gin.
Once the design got confirmed, we developed a tool via which we could bring the custom shaped item to life. In this case it was a semi-automatic tool which means it performs several of the production steps. A semi-automatic tool is often the most cost-effective option for projects with large volumes. Of at least a few hundred thousand units.
For Glenfiddich we developed a custom premium tasting set. As an upgraded version of the commonly used printed sheet of paper. The premium set consists of a a stainless steel bar tray, a wooden tray, coasters, ice tongs and forged coins which indicate the number of years the different Glenfiddich whiskeys have aged.
The Copper Dog is a Blended Malt Scotch whisky brand owned by Diageo. For brand activations, primarily at events, we had been asked to make so-called dipping dogs.
The origin story behind the “dipping dog” dates back to the 19th and early 20th century and is linked to Scottish whisky distilleries. A “dipping dog” refers to a small copper vessel, typically cylinder shaped. It was used by distillery workers to sample whisky straight from the cask. This product was called a “dog” because it was a worker’s best friend and it was often kept hidden close to them. Like a loyal companion.
A dipping dog serves as a symbol of the resourcefulness of distillery workers. It stands for a time during which whisky production was less commercialised and more about craftsmanship.
Some dipping dogs are sold as collectibles and serve as memorabilia. Our dipping dog model is functional, too. Since it is made from food safe material. We can make this product either with a cork stopper element or a metal cap that is screwed onto it.
In summary, personalised utensils can play a significant role for brands.
They help tell the brand story and make it easier to create memorable experiences for consumers. Utensils offer a unique opportunity for differentiation and often add practical value as objects of everyday use. Sometimes they can be used as branded giveaways or corporate gifts, thus serving as daily reminders of your brand.
Ivica Baraba
"In PES I get to work on many custom Point of Sales material projects. I’ve been doing this since 2004. It intrigues me to delve into brand worlds and determine what products can help a client achieve their business goals. It is an exceptionally creative and dynamic industry to be a part of.”
Product displays are one of the most common Point of Sale materials out there. There exist many different types. Depending on your industry and the retail set up, some will make more sense than others.
A product display is a promotional tool for presenting merchandise. Its role is to attract and engage customers. By doing so it elevates the shopping experience and, if done well, helps increase sales.
There exist a lot of different types of displays. Just to name a few:
Point of Purchase displays: These are the ones close to the checkout areas. For impulse purchases.
Window Displays: These are displays you can see from the outside of a retail store. Retailers arrange the window display to entice you to enter the store.
Island Displays: Stand alone type of displays that are placed in high-traffic parts of e.g. within a supermarket. These are often used to present special promotions.
Shelf Displays: Shelf displays are often used in supermarkets or behind a bar top. More often than not they include special signage or setups that make products stand out.
Mannequins: Very common for clothing brands. It helps consumers gain a clear visual about the look of e.g. skirts and trousers.
Good-looking product displays play a significant role in presenting and selling your products.
Eye-catching displays make consumers stop and pay attention. Notice the product that is being offered and, best case, even trigger impulse purchases. Beautiful displays transmit a message of quality which elevates the perceived value of a product and the brand as a whole.
Effective displays show consumers the way through a store, thus guiding consumer behavior within a store. Displays communicate essential information about the product, e.g. certain benefits, what to use the product for or maybe a discount. This helps consumers make more informed purchasing decisions.
A visually appealing display enhances consumer experience. By elevating the interior design of a store and evoking positive emotions. A good display makes good use of the retail space which can lead to an increase in sales per square meter.
In summary, good-looking product displays are powerful tools for driving consumer engagement, improving brand image and elevating the overall shopping experience. If done right, it will lead to an increase in sales, too.
There are different psychological aspects that product displays tap into.
First impression: Beautiful displays create positive first impressions which influence a consumer’s overall impression of a brand. Designers achieve this via color, lighting, motion elements, unique shapes. A unique design will particularly stand out because consumers are attracted towards novelty.
Emotions: Product displays convey a brand’s story, thus facilitating an emotional connection. Particularly with consumers who are already loyal fans. A positive emotional connection makes consumers more likely to buy the product. Beautiful designs foster positive emotions and a positive mood.
Memory: When a consumer comes across a product display it helps reinforce the brand. If this is one of several touchpoints, across different channels, it will lead to easier brand recall. The more unique the display, the more memorable it will be. The product display needs to display the product, not compete with it and take over the show.
Social proof: Quality displays create the impression that the product is popular. This takes advantage of the social proof principle. This principle leads consumers to believe that a popular item must be of a higher quality. People assume there must be something worthwhile exploring. Another psychological effect directly linked to social proof is shareability. Some people call it instagram ability. Beautifully presented products are more likely to be photographed and shared on social media.
Cognitive ease: By making a product stand out, displays help consumers make easier decisions. Clear messaging reduces the cognitive load and helps consumers find and select products. Well-presented products can induce a sense of trust in a brand, facilitating purchase decisions.
Product displays use principles of psychological effects to elevate the shopping experience, drive purchasing behavior, and build stronger bonds between consumers and brands.
One the one hand producing a great product display requires a thoughtful integration of the display into the overall marketing strategy. On the other hand it needs to be adapted to the specific location where it will be used. There are several essential elements of a great product display.
Product displays benefit from vibrant, contrasting colors to draw consumers in. Adequate lighting can further highlight the product and create a beautiful ambiance.
When it comes to the usage of product displays, a clean layout is important. An easy on the eye arrangement, e.g. grouping similar products together, helps consumers take in your offer. The products need to be in easy reach for all heights and easy to access. Ideally from all sides. Provide clear product information like benefits, ratings, testimonials, certificates, awards or endorsements.
Integrate the product display into a narrative, your brand story, by using a consistent theme that highlights it. The theme might be focused on your brand or on a season, e.g. Christmas, Halloween or Easter.
Make sure you display high-value products safely, in order to prevent theft. The display itself needs to be safe, e.g. no sharp edges, in order to avoid accidents. Particularly in high-traffic areas such as at retail stores in airports.
Select only quality materials that fit your brand’s positioning. Any logo or text the display is showing needs to be clearly visible and easy to read. When choosing materials and a design, make sustainable choices. Already at the start think about what will happen to the product once you won’t be using it anymore.
Consider allowing consumers to try your products before they buy, especially with food and cosmetics. Live or video demonstrations can show what your product is about.
Whenever possible, think of ways to make product displays modular. This way they can be easily adapted to different retail environments. Adaptable shelves and fixtures can display products of different sizes.
Consider integrating digital displays that show dynamic content like videos or social media feeds. Encourage consumers to share their experience via hashtags and QR codes.
By considering the above elements, you can develop a product display that is eye-catching, practical, drives sales and elevates the overall shopping experience.
If you manage different products, you need to carefully select which ones to display in order to maximize sales and consumer engagement. Here are several options to consider.
Best Sellers: The products that already sell well are likely to continue to attract consumers. Or the products that are customer favorites. The ones for which you can highlight reviews, ratings and awards.
New Products: Consumers love to discover new options.
Promotional items: Highlight products that are discounted.
High-Margin products: Showcase products with the highest profit margins to increase your profitability. Add comparable, higher-end product versions that buyers might switch to, in order to take advantage of upsell opportunities.
Impulse Purchases: Position small, low priced products close to the checkout area.
Cross-sell: Bundle products together that complement each other and are therefore likely to be purchased together, e.g. shoes and socks or phones and accessories.
Items for the occasion: Display products relevant to a particular season, e.g. winter gear, event, fan utensils for a sports event, or holiday, e.g. Christmas.
Exclusive Products: Display limited edition or exclusive products that create a sense of urgency.
Visually striking: Display visually stunning products that will attract crowds and create a certain buzz.
Newsworthy: Showcase products that have a newsworthy story attached to them, e.g. local and sustainable products which talk about your collaboration with local artisans.
Personalisation: display products that offer personalisation. You can sometimes see this at premium spirit stands at airports that are offering to personalize bottle labels with a name.
As you can see, there exist many options to choose from. By displaying these types of products, you can experiment and identify which work best for your brands and products.
Ivica Baraba
"In PES I get to work on many custom Point of Sales material projects. I’ve been doing this since 2004. It intrigues me to delve into brand worlds and determine what products can help a client achieve their business goals. It is an exceptionally creative and dynamic industry to be a part of.”
Custom bottle glorifiers offer a multitude of benefits for brands, particularly in the beverage domain. Here are the five top benefits.
Imagine you walk into a bar and approach the bar top. Whilst walking towards it you look around to observe the scenery. You notice the people and the furniture. You take in other visual cues and both the sound of music and people chatting with each other.
You reach the bar top and notice a lot of shelves in front of the back wall. These are filled with different bottles. You don’t feel drawn to any bottle in particular. Until you see one which is enclosed within a display, a bottle glorifier. Based on its design, this glorifier beautifully integrates with the bottle. The glorifier drew your attention towards this product.
If not, you would have never even noticed it.
You might have heard about the AIDA model. It is an old model that Elias St. Elmo Lewis developed in 1898! It describes four phases a consumer goes through when engaging with an advertisement: Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. Nowadays Attention is often replaced with Awareness.
The above first benefit of custom glorifiers, brand visibility, helps to introduce a brand. It catches the attention of people who might or might not turn into consumers of the product. It helps when the consumer has already seen the product before and now only has to recall the brand. Bottle glorifiers can be equipped with LED lighting, sound effects, moving parts or even digital displays. These trigger consumer engagement with the glorifier. Thus a person might be intrigued to find out more about the product.
When a company invests in a standard type of glorifier, it is much harder to connect it to a specific brand world. Yes, compared to a custom glorifier, the investment will be lower. The glorifier won’t speak the exact same language as the brand, though. Custom glorifiers offer design options that will fit what the brand chooses to stand for. What the audience will likely appreciate.
You want your marketing materials to integrate well into your broader marketing activities. It is easier to do that with custom solutions.
When you choose custom bottle glorifiers, you have more flexibility to get the quality right. If you are managing a premium spirit brand, you can’t work with a low quality bottle glorifier. All your branded merchandise needs to be of high quality.
I remember a client who briefed us on a custom bottle glorifier project. He represented a company that was a contract partner of a global premium spirit company. He told me that their client had relied on a lower quality type of bottle glorifier. They had come to the conclusion that it did not move the needle enough for them.
They considered the quality level they had been able to reach to be about 80%. Given the premium positioning of their brand, they needed the glorifier to reach at least what they described as a 95% level. If not they felt it would do more harm than add value to their brand positioning. Once they decided to invest in a redesign, they were able to improve the quality.
Brand visibility, consumer engagement, brand consistency and quality construction. Managed in the right way, these will lead to increased sales. Custom glorifiers trigger impulse purchases at the point of sale. Be it in bars, night clubs, event venues or supermarkets.
It is important to review the impact of the custom bottle glorifiers you are using. Do more consumers try out your product? Has the revenue gone up? Compared to other products you have not placed on a glorifier? Any differences in channels?
A good place to explore custom glorifiers, are retail stores at airports. You will find a range of beverage brands that use custom glorifiers. It is not uncommon for other type of brands to use glorifiers, too, e.g. parfum or cosmetics.
When it comes to custom glorifiers, what options for customisation exist? There are so many options here:
materials: wood, metal, plastics, glass, leather, marble, stone, granite, cardboard, forex, MDF…
colors: green, red, golden, white, black…
shape: square, rectangular, oval, round….
design style: traditional, contemporary, minimal, futuristic, natural…
electronics: motion sensors, lighting, sounds, laser beam…
The number of customisation options can be overwhelming. The best you can do is rely on a professional designer to help you out. Luckily we here at PES have our own in-house product design team. Not only that but product development and engineering team, too. They share an office with our head of production and our head of innovation. Their office is right next to our workshop.
Designer Collaboration
Our designers discuss initial drafts with their colleagues from engineering and production. Before moving forward and developing these more in detail. Some clients have their own designer. Or they collaborate with either a freelance designer or a designer who is part of an agency they work with. In this case our role is to support them with engineering advice and make the product they seek to source.
As with other marketing investments, when you use a custom bottle glorifier, you will want to track its impact. There is the brand marketing and then there is the direct marketing effect. The brand marketing part, e.g. brand awareness, brand recognition and brand trust, is mostly unmeasurable. You hope for the best, that the custom bottle glorifier will help your brand develop. The direct marketing part needs to drive a specific action. In the online world this can refer to clicks or impressions. Custom glorifiers need to drive purchases. This is what you are after.
You measure the increase in sales, over a specific period of time. Then you compare it with the amount of money you have invested. Into the design, the development, the production and the delivery of your glorifier. A Return of Investment calculation will be helpful to determine if the investment was worth it. You will want o compare the percentage with other marketing investment options.
There are different psychological aspects that custom glorifiers address.
Attention: Custom glorifiers are eye-catching. Designers achieve this via color, lighting, motion elements, unique shapes. A unique design will stand out because consumers are attracted towards novelty.
Emotions: Custom glorifiers convey a brand’s story, thus facilitating an emotional connection. Particularly with consumers who are already loyal fans. A positive emotional connection makes consumers more likely to buy the product. Beautiful designs foster positive emotions and a positive mood.
Memory: When a consumer comes across a custom glorifier it helps reinforce the brand. If this is one of several touchpoints, across different channels, it will lead to easier brand recall. The more unique the glorifier, the more memorable it will be. The glorifier needs to glorify the product, not compete with it and take over the show.
Social proof: Quality glorifiers create the impression that the product is popular. This takes advantage of the social proof principle. This principle leads consumers to believe that a popular item must be of a higher quality.
Decision making: By making a product stand out a custom glorifier helps consumers make easier decisions. The visual cues particularly help the yet undecided consumers. They are able to identify a product as a go to option.
Custom bottle glorifiers use principles of consumer psychology to gain attention, build emotional connections, simplify decision-making, and improve the consumer experience. By utilising these psychological factors, glorifiers impact purchasing behavior.
Two things will influence custom glorifiers more than anything else: sustainability and technology.
More glorifiers will be made from recycled and biodegradable materials. Energy-efficient lighting options will be further developed. The number of promotional messages a consumer experiences, will keep on rising. As a result of this, a lot of brands will adopt a minimalist approach to the design of bottle glorifiers. Glorifiers that will convey the message of more is less.
We will see more screens, augmented reality and the collection of consumer data. Brands will manage analytics in real time. Brands will change displayed content and colors in real time. . Trade marketers will be able to adapt custom glorifiers to individual campaigns.
Ivica Baraba
"In PES I get to work on many custom Point of Sales material projects. I’ve been doing this since 2004. It intrigues me to delve into brand worlds and determine what branded merchandise can help a client achieve their business goals. It is an exceptionally creative and dynamic industry to be a part of.”
Bottle openers are very cost-effective promotional items that are being used by many companies. They are relatively small which means it is easy to distribute them and they don’t require any intricate logistics. Bottle openers come in various designs, each tailored to different types of bottles, user preferences and themes.
a) Bar blade bottle opener
A simple flat piece of metal with a notch to remove caps is called a bar blade. Most often made from stainless steel, with a silver color finish, they can easily be branded via a laser engraving or a print. Bar blades can have an additional layer of rubber, too, which is often a vinyl coating. This coating offers a multitude of color choices. This type of bottle opener is usually made in a rectangular shape, with rounded ends.
b) Mounted bottle opener
A bottle opener fixed to a wall is called a wall-mounted bottle opener. It is particularly useful in settings where a lot of bottles need to be opened quickly, e.g. at large events. It comes in handy because one can easily open a bottle by using just one single hand. A second advantage is that the product won’t get easily lost or stolen. Instead of onto a wall a bottle opener can be attached to a product, too.
c) Keychain bottle opener
A bottle opener can be one of several functions a product performs. Another product function it is often combined with is a keychain. A well know product that combines a lot more functions is the Swiss Army knife.
d) Corkscrew
Since there exist different types of bottle closures, e.g. wine bottle corks, there exist corkscrews. Waiter’s often use a product that features a corkscrew, a bottle opener and a foil cutter, all in one. This product is called the Waiter’s Friend or Sommelier Knife.
There exist electric versions of the corkscrew which, battery operated, remove corks automatically.
A T-shaped corkscrew is a simple design with a T-shaped handle and a screw.
A Winged Corkscrew has two levers (wings) that lift up as the screw is inserted and pushed down to remove the cork. It gives the user stability by providing a higher level of balance.
A Lever Corkscrew, also called Rabbit, uses a lever mechanism to extract the cork with minimal effort.
e) Churchkey
A Churchkey is a North American term for different types of bottle and can openers. On one end the product is pointed, for puncturing cans. On the other end it has a notch for removing caps. In this regard the Churchkey represents a multi-tool.
f) Push Down bottle opener
The Push Down bottle opener is a relatively large model which is being placed directly ontop of a bottle and then pushed down. It then automatically removes the cap. It often has a magnet on the side, too, which, once the cap has been removed, grabs it.
g) Ring bottle opener
Ring bottle openers are worn like a ring and used to remove caps with a quick flick of the wrist. They sure can surprise people who haven’t seen such a product before. Since they are small and lightweight, ring bottle openers are very easy to carry around, even if not placed on a finger.
h) Novelty Openers
Bottle openers exist in all type of forms, e.g. shaped like animals, sports equipment or other novelty shapes for fun or themed use.
There exist a multitude of different openers. Each type offers unique advantages depending on the setting and the user's needs. Whether for professional bartending, casual home use or on-the-go convenience, there's a bottle opener suited for every purpose.
When it comes to defining the type of bottle opener that fits your particular brand, there are a couple of important things to consider.
What is your brand about? What is its style? Is it a traditional or more of a contemporary type of brand? What theme fits your brand? Is it e.g. a spirit brand that uses a seafaring or piracy theme? This is relevant for defining the design of any of your branded merchandise. It needs to fit your brain identity.
What is your target audience? What do they care about? What do they believe in? What do they therefore expect from a brand within your product or service category? If you were part of your own brand’s target audience, think in terms of “People like us….”. It could for example be that “People like us like minimal design” or “People like us appreciate vintage objects” or “People like us value sustainability and therefore prefer products that minimise harming our planet”. This not only has an impact on the design of your bottle opener but on your decision regarding its packaging.
What is your brand’s primary story? What are its key elements? Are there any ways of creating a bottle opener that fits this story?
What role should the branding on your bottle opener play? Do you opt for a more subtle type of branding, which is barely noticeable. Maybe even hidden, only to reveal itself after a user has been intrigued by the question “Who came up with such a unique product?” and examines it in detail. Who can help you to actually create the design that fits your brand? Choose a freelance designer, an agency or a production company that, preferably, has their own, in-house product design team. Their expertise will be instrumental in developing a good solution together with you.
Everyday objects like bottle openers can be eye-catching, awe inspiring, functional and entertaining all in one. Here are a total of 10 unique examples, two for each of the following five aspects of bottle openers we’re describing: Minimal design, Brand storytelling, Thematic ideas, Subtle branding and Eye catchers. Hopefully these examples will get your creative juices flowing.
1. Minimal design
The clean and simple design ensures that minimalist bottle openers never go out of style. High-quality materials and a stable construction ensure longevity and consistent performance.
Dyad represents the smallest possible community, one that consists of two members.
For this community to function, both members need to cooperate. In the case of the Dyad keyholder it refers to two different geometric shapes, a trapeze and a circle, which together form a bottle opener.
This keyholder bottle opener is part of a brand named VAU. We created this brand, which is about practical everyday objects, inspired by nature, geometry, spirituality and art, back in 2017.
2. Brand storytelling
Brand storytellers use narrative techniques to connect with an audience and reveal what their brand is about. The narrative can take on many different forms, depending on a brand’s identity, its values and the characters involved. Custom branded merchandise, for example bottle openers, can be made in such a way to fit a particular brand’s story.
We made this custom dog tag bottle opener because it fits the outlaw lifestyle. A lifestyle that would come to define the pioneering tattoo style and ethos of Norman Collins. The man behind Sailor Jerry Rum. During WWII, Collins tattooed countless military men who were on shore leave. His tattoos depicted the challenges these men had overcome.
A good idea for creating a unique bottle opener is to replicate the shape of a 3D element from your logo or another distinct element that is part of your brand world.
Laško Zlatorog is a Slovenian beer brand. The word Zlatorog means Goldhorn. In Slovene folkore, Goldhorn is an Alpine ibex that lived on Mount Triglav. According to the legend, Goldhorn’s golden horns were the key to a hidden treasure. Connecting to this brand story, we developed a concept for a horn shaped bottle opener. Additionally, by choosing antique brass as its finish, we created a connection to the golden horns. At the same time the black patina of antique brass highlights this bottle opener’s relief structure.
3. Thematic ideas
Themed bottle openers are designed relating to specific themes. This enhances the consumer experience and creates a memorable connection with the brand or occasion. The first example refers to the theme of sports, in this case football. The second example refers to the theme of music, since it had been developed and made for a music event a beer brand had been supporting as a sponsor.
4. Subtle branding
Some brand owners know their audience prefers subtle branding. During concept development they will make sure to achieve this. Using distinctive shapes can be an effective alternative to relying solely on a prominent logo. This approach enhances brand recognition, create a memorable visual identity, and convey specific brand values.
5. Eye catchers
Embrace abstract forms and unconventional shapes. This results in unique and eye-catching pieces that double as conversation starters.
Embrace abstract forms and unconventional shapes. This results in unique and eye-catching pieces that double as conversation starters.
Triangle bottle opener
Designed as a triangle which symbolises stability and groundedness, this bottle opener features a series of triangles all throughout its solid form and empty spaces. Apart from being a hand tool, the TRIANGLE bottle opener becomes a sculpture when not in use. Made from solid metal, it is available in an antique brass and a satin silver finish.
This bottle opener is part of a brand named VAU. We created this brand, which is about practical desktop objects and jewelry, inspired by nature, geometry, spirituality and art, back in 2017.
Looking for custom bottle openers for your brand? Take a look at our work or contact us to explore a potential cooperation.
The company you are a part of probably owns many different brands or you are part of a company that is the contract partner of an organisation that owns them. You help them with design and brand experience services and/or with sourcing branded merchandise and Point of Sale material.
These brands, if they represent Fast Moving Consumer Goods, relate to physical products. An example could be a spirit brand. There are many physical objects involved in the process of making a spirit, e.g. raw materials, a still for distillation and the spirit drink, in a bottle, itself. The final product that is being made, distributed, marketed and sold, over and over again.
All of these products are connected to a particular brand’s world and could be replicated. Either in the same size like the original or in a different size. Either smaller or larger. A replica is therefore a physical representation of another physical object.
For the purpose of this blog post we will focus on the function of replicas within the domain of promotion and marketing. The ways in which replicas can help your brand stand out. Just to be clear, we are not talking about any type of fraudulent imitation here. We are talking about replica that the intellectual owner of the original product orders.
High-quality replicas can be used to showcase the craftsmanship and attention to detail of the original products, allowing potential customers to experience the product without committing to a purchase. In industries like furniture, fashion or automotive, replicas allow customers to physically interact with the product, which can enhance their appreciation and likelihood of purchase.
Replicas are common for showcasing at trade shows, exhibition and events where the risk of damage or theft is higher. Therefore contributing to cost-effective marketing because this helps to promote the brand without the financial risk associated with transporting and displaying original high-value products. It is for example a common occurrence for display purposes within retail stores. In order to reduce the wear and tear on original items that therefore still can be sold.
Replicas can be used as promotional items and help create a buzz around your brand. Limited edition replicas can even become collector’s items, increasing brand loyalty and customer engagement. They can be part of interactive campaigns, such as virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) experiences, where customers can engage with the product in a novel and memorable way.
For products that require user training or demonstration, e.g. during a whisky tasting, or simply to support brand storytelling, replicas provide a beautiful way to educate both staff and customers. A whisky brand ambassador can use a replica of the still the spirit is distilled in, to explain the process of production.
Replicas allow your brand to expand its presence globally without the logistical challenges of shipping original high-value items. This can be beneficial for testing new markets and gaining international exposure.
Custom promotional products and awards, in the form of replicas, can be used to celebrate your team’s success or as gifts for business partners. This helps build quality relationships and fosters brand perception.
Replicas used in the above way help you create unique and memorable experiences for your customers, differentiate from competitors and enhance your market presence.
Several aspects are important for sourcing a great product replica, ensuring it effectively enhances your brand's image and meets your strategic objectives.
Quality replicas should closely match your original product in appearance, materials and craftsmanship. This ensures that the replica accurately represents your brand standards and can serve as a convincing stand-in for the original. Replicas should be durable enough to withstand handling and display in various settings, from retail environments to trade shows.
The replica should incorporate all brand elements, such as logos, colors and design features, to maintain brand consistency and recognition. While it is a replica, it should still embody the essence and values of the original product, reinforcing the brand's authenticity.
Creating replicas should be cost-effective compared to producing the original products. This allows brands to use replicas extensively in marketing and promotional efforts without incurring prohibitive expenses. The production process should be scalable to meet varying demands, whether for a limited promotional campaign or widespread retail displays.
For replicas used in demonstrations or training, they should function similarly to the original product to provide a realistic experience. This is particularly important in sectors like technology, medical devices, or complex machinery. Replicas should be adaptable to different contexts, whether for in-store displays, trade shows, or interactive marketing experiences.
Ensure that the creation and use of replicas do not infringe on any intellectual property rights. This includes obtaining necessary permissions and ensuring that the replicas are not used deceptively. Be transparent with customers about the nature of the replicas to avoid any potential backlash or confusion.
The design and features of the replicas should appeal to your brand's target audience, aligning with their preferences and expectations. They should be tailored to the specific goals of a marketing or promotional campaign, such as generating buzz, educating consumers or showcasing new product features.
Incorporating modern technology, such as augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) compatibility, can enhance the interactive experience of the replicas, making them more engaging and memorable. Offering customizable replicas can increase their appeal, allowing your customers to see how the original product might look with personalized features.
Replicas should be safely packaged, easy to transport and easy to set up. Particularly if you want to use them during trade shows or different events. This keeps logistics and costs in check.
By focusing on these aspects, you can create effective and impactful product replicas that will enhance your brand’s visibility and engage your customers.
Creating an authentic product replica requires a meticulous approach to ensure that the replica closely resembles the original in terms of appearance, quality, and functionality.
Closely work with a product designer and a supplier that understands engineering and production. Provide them with a detailed brief about the product that you want to be replicated, what your brand is about, what your target audiences are and how exactly the replicas will be used: in which channels and for what purpose.
Your supplier will either ask you for a physical sample of your product or images and a technical drawing. The designer will identify the materials used in the original product. If exact materials are too costly or impractical, he will find high-quality substitutes that closely match the original.
Ensure that the craftsmanship matches the original. This includes precise stitching in textiles, accurate shapes in plastic and exact finishes in metals. It is vital to rely on skilled craftsmen who have experience in creating high-quality replicas and will pay extra attention to details. Often they will start with 3D scanning in order to create a digital model of the original product. For small volumes 3D printing or CNC machining will be cost-effective. For larger volumes technologies such as injection moulding or die casting. Before reaching the bulk production phase you will want to sign off on a render visualisation and technical drawing, later on a prototype and, after tooling, on a pre-production sample. These checkpoints will help you get the type of product replica you want.
Your suppliers needs to use precise color matching techniques to ensure that the colors of the replica match the original product. This may involve custom-mixing paints or lacquers. Additionally, they need, whenever possible, to apply the same finishing processes as the original, such as polishing, painting or coating, to replicate the final appearance and texture.
If the original product has specific functions, e.g., moving parts or electronics, it is important that these are accurately replicated. This might involve using similar or compatible technologies. A replica that is more complex and has special functions should be 3rd party laboratory tested to ensure it meets quality standards and is safe.
Branding details require special attention because all things such as logos, labels and packaging that are present on the original product are important. Minor details, e.g. tags or serial numbers, are things that can easily be overlooked but, if taken care of, will contribute to the overall feel of authenticity.
Although this list about how to make an authentic product replica might seem a bit overwhelming, it is doable. Particularly if you partner with a capable supplier that has a track record of making high quality product replicas.
Several industries have successfully leveraged product replicas to enhance their brand presence, demonstrate product features and engage customers.
Automotive
High-end car manufacturers, such as Ferrari and Lamborghini, often create full-scale replicas of their vehicles for use in auto shows, museums, and promotional events. These replicas showcase the design and craftsmanship of the cars without the risk of damage to the original vehicles.
Companies like Hot Wheels and Matchbox produce detailed miniature replicas of popular cars, allowing enthusiasts to own a piece of automotive history at a fraction of the cost.
Luxury Goods and Fashion
Luxury watch brands like Cartier and Rolex create high quality replicas for display in retail stores and at trade shows. These replicas allow potential buyers to experience the look and feel of the watches without handling the expensive originals.
Brands like Louis Vuitton and Chanel produce replicas for display purposes and for use in marketing campaigns, ensuring that their high-end products are showcased without wear and tear on the actual items.
Entertainment
Companies like Hasbro and Disney produce highly detailed replicas of props, costumes and characters from popular movies. These replicas are sought after by fans and collectors.
Education and Culture
Museums often display replicas of dinosaur skeletons, allowing visitors to experience these prehistoric creatures without the risk of damaging original fossils.
Replicas of historical artifacts, such as ancient pottery, jewelry, and tools, are used in educational settings and museum displays to provide hands-on learning experiences.
Consumer Electronics
Companies like Apple and Samsung create replicas of their latest devices for use in stores and promotional displays. These replicas allow customers to interact with the products and experience their design and features without using the functional, high-value originals.
Companies like Nintendo produce replicas of classic gaming consoles that maintain the look and feel of the originals while incorporating modern technology. Thus tapping into the need of feeling nostalgic.
Furniture and Home Décor
The furniture giant IKEA often uses replicas in its showrooms to display the design and functionality of its products. These replicas allow customers to visualise how the furniture will look and fit in their homes.
Companies specializing in replica furniture, like those producing mid-century modern pieces, e.g. Eames chairs, offer high-quality reproductions of iconic designs at more accessible prices.
Health
Companies like 3D Systems and Laerdal produce replicas of medical devices and anatomical models for use in training and simulation. These replicas provide realistic practice for medical professionals without the risk associated with using real devices on patients.
Aerospace and Military
Organisations like NASA and SpaceX create replicas of spacecraft and equipment for use in educational exhibits and public outreach. These replicas help to educate the public and inspire interest in space exploration.
Replicas of weapons and vehicles are used in military training to provide realistic scenarios without the cost and risk of using actual operational equipment.
These examples illustrate how product replicas can serve various purposes across industries, from marketing and education to training and entertainment, while maintaining high standards of quality and authenticity.
Fast Moving Consumer Goods
Brand ambassadors of fast moving consumer goods, e.g. premium spirits, are using replica for brand storytelling purposes. A good option is to have a mini replica of the still via which the spirit is being made. This serves to visually communicate the craftsmanship involved in making a a premium spirit.
Looking for custom replicas for your brand? Take a look at our work or contact us to explore a potential cooperation.
Custom bottle openers are personalised tools for opening bottles. Bottles that usually have metal caps, such as many beer and soft drink bottles do. These openers can be customised in many different ways to match specific brand characteristics and, at the same time, match the preferences of the audience that is meant to use them. Options to customise a bottle opener are primarily the material, the overall design, the branding, personalisation and functional enhancements.
A custom bottle opener can help distinguish a brand in multiple ways. The first option is a unique shape. One that aligns with the brand’s identity makes the product eye-catching and extra valuable.
Integrating a brand’s color palette reinforces the uniqueness of the product and helps create a stronger connection to the brand it represents. An important decision when designing a custom bottle opener is the logo placement. Unless a brand intentionally opts for sublety, the logo needs to be easily visible each time the product is being used. The choice of quality level and material will have a direct impact on how the product will be perceived. High quality materials such as stainless steel, wood or diecast metal help position a brand as premium. Eco-friendly options such as sustainable or recycled materials will help position a brand as environmentally conscious and socially responsible.
Another aspect of great importance is the practicality of the bottle opener. How easy is it to use the product? How well does it perform its function of opening a bottle? If the product does not reach a high level here, it will fire back on the brand and almost certainly create a negative experience for the user. Reversely, a bottle opener that is easy to use contributes to creating goodwill towards the brand. In terms of functionality, a bottle opener can be equipped with additional functions, too. For example the function of a corkscrew or a keychain can add further value.
Bottle openers can work with personalisation. Each single unit can have a personalised name or message, e.g. via laser engraving or a printed label. This can make the product extra relevant to different target audiences or individual consumers. Bottle openers offer lasting value because they are used on a regular basis, which means they keep the brand in front of consumers over a long time. Whilst using them chances are other people will notice them and the brand they represent. Particularly if they offer novelty, which means have a highly unusual design not seen before. Such bottle openers can generate buzz and make the audience e.g. share images of the product online which extends the brand’s reach.
When it comes to novelty and creativity, a special subcategory of bottle openers are collectibles. Some brands will offer a themed or even a limited edition of a particular bottle opener. This way they are offering exclusitivity and attract collectors. This might happen during a special event, e.g. a premier showing of a movie. Or, talking about themes, it might be a Christmas related bottle opener.
By leveraging the above aspects, custom bottle openers can help achieve improve brand differentiation, strengthen brand identity and foster customer loyalty.
There exist a lot of different ways to integrate custom bottle openers into marketing efforts.
One can use them as promotional giveaways, e.g. at fairs, conferences and other events. To increase brand visibility and attract potential customers. These can be personalised, too.
Bottle openers are often part of a brand’s merchandise product line, especially in the beverage industry. This means companies sell branded bottle openers, e.g. at their own visitor centre or webshop.
Custom bottle openers can be used as memorabilia, e.g. at sports events or music concerts. Fans appreciate custom bottle openers that are featuring a team’s or band’s logo and event dates. Since bottle openers are small items, fans appreciate the fact that they can easily take these with them after such events, to remind them of their experience.
The functional value of bottle openers is not to be underestimated. Particularly if additional functions are being added, like corkscrews for opening wine bottles or a keychain to connect keys. Everyone needs a bottle opener at some point in time. Particularly outlets such as bars or restaurants that, throughout the day, will use them very often, ensuring the brand is exposed to consumers.
Custom bottle openers can be used as gift items for employee recognition and client appreciation. By doing so one can strengthen employee and client relationships.
As part of promotional campaigns, a brand team can manage offline and online, e.g. via social media channels, contests where participants can win custom bottle openers. A common marketing abbreviation, particularly within the Fast Moving Consumer Goods world, is GWP, Gift With Purchase. As another option of a promotional campaign, one can offer a free custom bottle opener when buying a product, thus increasing revenue.
Items such as custom bottle glorifier can be part of customer loyalty programs. They can be redeemed via reward points one has gained or used, if the product is of exceptional quality, as part of a reward package for VIP customers.
No brand works in isolation. Partnerships with other brands, to create co-branded bottle openers, offer an opportunity to expand reach. Sponsorships, e.g. of a sports team or a sports event such as the upcoming European Football Championship 2024, enable brands to use custom bottle openers in sponsorship packages, connecting the brand with a strong other brand.
Direct mail campaigns are a common marketing tool. Custom bottle openers, due to their relatively small size, can be easily integrated as thoughtful gifts into such campaigns. These could be linked to particularly milestones a customer, business partner or employee has reached.
Social media and influencer marketing offer another opportunity. Influencers can showcase custom openers in their content and customers can share photos of themselves using the openers on social media, e.g. Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.
All of the above practical applications offer great ways of integrating custom bottle openers into marketing activities. By doing so one can foster a positive brand image whilst increasing both brand visibility and sales.
Choosing the right custom bottle opener
How does one go about choosing the right custom bottle opener? A key element to start with is to use the power of design. Either by collaborating with an in-house designer, a freelance designer, a designer who works for an agency or maybe, like in our case here at PES, with a supplier who has their own, in-house design team.
It is important to focus on expertise regarding product design here. If the designer has expertise in the domain of engineering, too, that’s even better. It might only be required if the design is an extremely challenging one and therefore requires expertise regarding tool development, though.
Whoever the designer will be, he will rely on a quality brief. One that, ideally, covers all of the following aspects:
A custom bottle opener will be a physical representation of your brand. Therefore it needs to perfectly align with your brand identity and the campaign it will be part of.
Looking for custom bottle openers for your brand? Take a look at our work or contact us to explore a potential cooperation.
Brand Consistency and Differentiation
Amongst Point of Sale material for beverage brands, the bottle glorifier is an absolute staple. It perfectly serves as a display to highlight your bottle and thus your brand.
As a member of a Trade Marketing team, you’re likely involved in managing brand activations. Part of your responsibilities might be to determine the Point of Sale materials you’ll be using to connect with your audience.
The good things is, unless the brand is new, to do so you already have brand assets you can lean on. For example a logo, a color palette, illustrations, typography, a certain tone of voice, sounds and copy, which might even include a tagline. Images of prior or current Point of Sale materials you’re already using. These are all elements we often find within a brand manual a client will send us as part of their brief. It is all helpful input when it comes to developing creative concepts for your bottle glorifier.
Sometimes there even exists a brand story. One that has the power to appeal to an audience’s emotions. Although most consumers are convinced logic drives their purchasing decisions, more often than not it is their emotions. Logic steps in later, to back up the decision and help rationalise it.
Ideally all Point of Sale material will be aligned with your brand assets and fill your brand story with life.
Your brand might be associated with a certain theme. If so, a skilled designer will present a creative concepts that tap into it. For example, within the rum category, seafaring or piracy are common themes.
The process of developing a creative concept for a bottle glorifier is significantly impacted by technological innovations. The most important ones are:
LED lighting
Modern bottle glorifiers often use programmable LED lights that can change colors, patterns and intensity level. This way displays can be customized for different promotions. Some glorifiers feature interactive lighting that responds to motion or sound, creating a more unique experience for consumers.
Remote control
Many glorifiers today can be controlled remotely, e.g. via smartphone or smartwatch apps, thus allowing easy adjustments.
Digital displays
While designing glorifiers digital screens and projection technology can be added. This enables the product to show videos and other multimedia content on or around the bottle. More advanced glorifiers use Augmented Reality to provide additional information or immersive experience when viewed through a smartphone.
Interactivity
Nowadays bottle glorifiers can incorporate touch-sensitive areas that enable consumers to interact with the display. These then trigger changes in lighting or information that is being displayed. Another option are motion sensors that activate when someone approaches the glorifier.
Sustainability
The environmental impact can be lowered by using modern, more energy-efficient lighting. The use of recyclable or biodegradable materials for producing bottle glorifiers is another option to promote sustainability.
Customisation
3D printing technology offers the possibility of producing customisable designs. By using this technology brands can create unique glorifiers.
Integration with marketing technology
Bottle glorifiers can collect data on customer interactions, e.g. how often the motion sensor is being activated or how long consumers engage with the display. Marketers later use this information to analyse consumer behaviour. Another option to integrate bottle glorifiers with marketing technology is the integration of QR codes or NFC tags. Customers scan these with their smartphones to gain additional information.
When looking for inspiration, designers like to analyse the trends occurring within other industries. An industry that is traditionally often used for this is the furniture industry. The following are current design trends within this industry.
Curves and Soft Lines
Items with fluid, organic shapes are central to this trend. These pieces often mimic natural shapes found in the environment, such as flowing curves and asymmetrical silhouettes. Fluid forms imply movement and dynamism, adding a sense of energy and liveliness to spaces. This can help create a more dynamic and engaging environment, particularly in areas where people gather and interact, e.g. bars.
Sculptural Shapes
The sculptural shapes design trend focuses on incorporating furniture, decor, and architectural elements that feature bold, artistic, and often abstract forms reminiscent of sculpture. This trend embraces the idea of furniture and decor pieces as functional art, blurring the lines between form and function while adding drama and interest. The sculptural shapes design trend offers a creative and avant-garde approach to interior design, encouraging exploration, experimentation, and self-expression.
Mixing Metals
The Mixing Metals design trend involves incorporating various metal finishes and tones into interior design to create an eclectic, dynamic, and visually interesting space. Rather than sticking to one metal finish throughout a room, designers are embracing the idea of mixing different metals to add depth, contrast and personality to a space.
Biophilic design
Biophilic design is an approach to architecture and interior design that seeks to connect people with nature by incorporating natural elements, materials, and patterns into the built environment. The term "biophilia," coined by biologist E.O. Wilson, refers to the innate human tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. Biophilic design acknowledges this connection and aims to enhance well-being, productivity and overall quality of life by integrating nature into the spaces where people live, work, and play.
Sustainable Materials
With an increasing focus on environmental consciousness, sustainable and eco-friendly design practices have become more prevalent. This includes using recycled materials, energy-efficient fixtures and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.
Retro influences
Nostalgia for past decades often inspires design choices, with vintage and retro elements making a comeback. This can include mid-century modern furniture, vintage-inspired textiles, and retro color schemes.
Statement stone
The statement stone design trend celebrates the natural beauty, versatility and timeless appeal of natural stone materials while pushing the boundaries of traditional stone applications. To create bold and innovative design statements in both residential and commercial spaces.
Statement stone design often incorporates mixed materials and contrasts to enhance visual interest and create dynamic compositions. This can include pairing stone with metal accents, glass elements or wood finishes. To create a harmonious blend of textures and materials.
Bold colors
The bold colors design trend is characterised by the use of vibrant, saturated hues to create eye-catching and impactful interior spaces. Bold color design allows for a high degree of personal expression and creativity. It encourages individuals to experiment with color and express their unique style preferences, resulting in spaces that feel vibrant, dynamic and full of life.
Artisanal craftsmanship
The artisanal craftsmanship design trend celebrates the beauty of handmade and handcrafted objects created with skill, passion and attention to detail by artisans and craftspeople. This trend embraces traditional craftsmanship techniques and values authenticity, uniqueness and quality.
Innovative examples
Looking for custom bottle glorifiers for your brand? Take a look at our work or contact us to explore a potential cooperation.
Bottle glorifiers are promotional displays designed to showcase bottles. These are used in different industries but mostly for alcoholic beverages like wine and spirits. Within different channels, e.g. in supermarkets, bars or at events. Bottle glorifiers can promote either one or a group of brands and are mostly used in a business to consumer setting.
Bottle glorifiers are effective marketing tools that increase product visibility. They attract customers to pay attention, elevate brand communication and increase sales. As point of sale material bottle glorifiers serve several roles.
Brand visibility
Bottle glorifiers increase the visual impact of the product that is being displayed. Literally elevating the bottle, they set the bottle apart from other bottles and therefore significantly increase the probability that customers take notice.
Customised design
There exist many options when it comes to designing a bottle glorifier. Sizes, shapes, colors, imagery and materials offer the opportunity to bring a brand’s identity to life.
Modern technology
Many bottle glorifiers use lighting elements, e.g. LED lights, increasing the visual appeal. Particularly in dimly lit environment such as nightclubs and bars or during evening settings.
There is a plethora of further options to incorporate modern technology such as motion sensors and audio recordings.
Versatility
Bottle glorifiers can be used for one single bottle or a whole range of bottles. They are portable and easy to set up, making them versatile tools to be used in different channels. This versatility
means they can be used in various promotional settings.
Promotional themes
Bottle glorifiers can be designed to highlight seasonal themes or special occasions, e.g. Valentine’s or St. Patrick’s Day.
During the process of making bottle glorifiers design plays a significant role. For creating visually appealing, engaging and effective marketing materials that will resonate with customers and increase sales. Key aspects of the role of design are as follows.
Brand representation
Desgn is significant for bringing a brands’ unique style to life. The choice of materials, colors, typography, logos and images will have a direct impact on how effective bottle glorifiers will be.
Visual Impact
The design of bottle glorifiers needs to capture the attention of customers and create a strong visual attraction that stands out amongst other products or services. Eye-catching graphics and beautiful imagery help direct customers to what is being offered.
Clarity of communication
Clear and easy on the eye type of communication is essential in bottle glorifier design, to effectively communicate product features, benefits, pricing and promotions. The design needs to complement the bottle on display and guide the customer to engage with the offer and easily understand what it is about.
Choice of materials
Designers are able to choose the right type of materials for producing bottle glorifiers, knowing what cost-effective solutions will be. Durability, visual impact and eco-friendliness of bottle glorifiers are aspects designers will be able to make informed decisions about.
Continuous improvement
The usage of bottle glofifiers implies feedback, by retailers, customers, marketers and POS material suppliers. Designers take this feedback and work on bottle glorifier iterations that improve results.
Spatial design
The design of bottle glorifiers needs to be aligned with all other point of sale materials that are being used and its surrounding space. Designers analyse this space and how customers move through it. Based on this they then go ahead and make informed decisions about where to best position bottle glorifiers.
Bottle glorifiers impact the perceptions, emotions and behaviours of consumers. Here are six aspects to consider.
Attention
Bottle glorifiers are designed to increase visibility of a bottle. By elevating bottles and making them more attractive than other bottles on a shelf, countertop or back bar, they entice customers to notice them.
Perceived value
Bottle glorifiers prominently display a product and therefore increase its perceived value. When customers see a bottle displayed at the most frequented location they may associate the product with being premium, something special. This can influence a buyer’s purchasing decision and there willingness to pay a premium price.
Brand association
Bottle glorifiers foster impactful brand messaging by using logos, colors, imagery and maybe illumination. Customers repeatedly notice the brand and product. Over time, customers associate the brand with quality, prestige and sophistication. This in turn can lead to stronger brand loyalty and serve as a conversation starter.
Emotional engagement
Visually beautiful bottle glorifiers, particularly those including lighting or remarkable designs, can evoke positive emotions in customers. They can create a sense of excitement and pleasure, a certain atmosphere customers connect with. These positive emotions increase brand affinity and influence purchasing choices.
Social influence
Bottle glorifiers serve as signals of social status and popularity. This may lead customers to perceive the products as being endorsed by others. Especially if there exists a direct association between the brand and a celebrity person they hold in high regard. This social influence can impact purchasing behaviour and increase sales success of the promoted product.
Impulse purchase
The visual appeal of bottle glorifiers can lead to impulse purchasing by connecting to the consumers’ senses. When customers are attracted by a beautiful display which bottle they perceive to be premium or in any way special, they are more likely to seek instant gratification. Even more so if customers are undecided as to what product they prefer to select.
Bottle glorifiers have gone through a historical progression, from the pre-20th century era, during which they were serving merely a functional purpose, to becoming sophisticated, technologically advanced promotional materials. This makes them take on a more significant role regarding brand visibility and sales results.
With the increase of advertising importance in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bottle glorifiers began to include branding and promotional messaging. It was the time when they stopped serving solely a functional purpose such as organising and storing bottles.
During the Art Deco, the 1920s and 1930s, bottle glorifiers became more decorative. Influenced by the geometric shapes and bold colors of Art Deco design, bottle glorifiers started showing metallic accents and elegant motifs that increased the overall visual appeal and evoked a sense of luxury.
During the mid 20th centur new materials were introduced, most importantly new plastic options, e.g. acrylic glass, that had a strong impact on bottle glorifier design. This resulted in lower costs, higher availability, transparency and flexibility. Companies started to create completely new designs that were visually more impactful, lighter and easier to produce in larger numbers.
In the late 20th century, bottle glorifiers started to emerge that incorporated lighting elements. Particularly LED technology, due to its energy efficiency and durability, helped bring this change about. Lights and vibrant colors increased brand visibility and added another element of ambiance to retail and hospitality venues.
During the current century, the 21st one, bottle glorifiers have added digitalised and interactive elements that opened up further options. Touchscreens, augmented and virtual reality, audio recordings and sensors have increased the innovation level. These are now more capable of drawing customers in and influencing purchasing behaviour.
Bottle glorifiers are versatile marketing tools that are being tailor-made to industry specific needs. Each with their own marketing objectives and design focus.
Beverage
The beverage industry is by far the industry in which bottle glorifiers are most prominently used. To promote both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, in different channels. In bars and nightclubs illuminated versions are highly regarded because they incorporate dynamic lighting effects, LED displays and interactive elements. Within the retail channel bottle glorifiers guide customers’ attention and reinforce brand messaging.
Retail
In retail settings bottle glorifiers are not only being used to promote drinks but beauty related products, e.g. perfumes or cosmetics. One can find a lof of these within the Global Travel Retail segment, at airport stores.
Hospitality
Within hotel bars, lounges and event venues, you’ll often find bottle glorifiers that promote beverage options.
Events
During trade shows and festivals, bottle glorifiers are being used to highlight product offerings and support brand activations. Fashion and runway shows smoetimes include bottle glorifiers as well, adding to the overall ambiance, e.g. by displaying a prestigious bottle of champagne.
Throughout the last years, there has been a stronger focus on incorporating eco-friendly designs when producing bottle glorifiers. By doing so companies demonstrate their commitment to sustainable products that minimise their impact on our planet.
Here are some design principles to consider:
Certifications and standards
Companies place a stronger emphasis on meeting standards such as e.g. FSC, REACH, RoHS or Cal Prop 65. Often 3rd party audits are being managed to assess a supplier’s performance regarding predetermined quality and sustainability standards.
Local sourcing
When it comes to sourcing raw materials and producing bottle glorifiers brands can look for local suppliers and manufacturers. This way they are minimising the carbon footprint linked to transportation and support local communities.
Modular solutions
Brands choose reusable and modular bottle glorifiers that can be reconfigured and repurposed for different promotions. Such products reduce waste and cost.
Energy-efficient lighting
Illuminated bottle glorifiers are being assembled with LED lights and rechargeable batteries. In order to reduce energy concumption and emissions. LES lights have a longer lifespan and produce minimal heat compared to e.g. traditional light bulbs.
Sustainable materials
When making bottle glorifiers brands can choose recycled and/or recyclable raw materials. This entails not only the product as such but the packaging, too. It is more and more common to not involve any plastic components, including labelling which needs to be from paper.
Minimalism
In order to reduce material usage and waste brands can choose minimalist bottle glorifier designs. A focus on only essential elements assures the environmental impact is kept to the minimum (pun intended).
There are a multitude of benefits that speak for customised point of sale materials.
Brand Consistency and Differentiation
Customised POS materials enable brands to achieve brand consistency across different activations and touchpoints. Using brand specific colors and matching its specific style, in terms of overall design, makes these materials stand out from the competition. Consumers recognise them as unique and they facilitate memorable shopping experiences.
Targeted marketing
Brands use customised point of sale material to target specific audiences. Based on their preferences and behaviours, brands develop personalised messaging that consumers can more easily resonate with. This includes aligning to current trends and the aspect of localisation. This way POS materials are adapted to different cultural realities, e.g. in terms of language and imagery.
Flexibility
Customised POS materials grant brands the flexibility to promote specific products or entire campaigns, based on seasonal differences, current inventory or specific marketing goals.
Customer engagement
Customised POS materials are more likely to resonate with customers. They can be designed to facilitate interaction. Via interactive displays, QR codes and augmented reality expeirences. Customers learn more about products, participate in promotions and share their experience with others.
Whilst customised POS materials require a larger initial investment, the inherent, more targeted messaging often leads to a better return on investment.
Brands go to great lengths to define an entire brand world: a tone of voice, a promise, a positioning, a color spectrum, values, materials, target audiences and so much more. The consumer represents the hero figure who desires a certain change. A change that can be facilitated by consuming the products or services of a particular brand.
Customised point of sale materials not only contribute to higher sales results but more effectively convey the unique identity of a brand. Point of sale materials are physical representations of the brand and therefore make the brand more recognisable.
This elevates brand awareness and creates a positive association between customers and the brand.
During the process of making customised point of sale materials design plays an important role. For creating visually appealing, engaging and effective marketing materials that will resonate with customers and increase sales. Key aspects of the role of design are as follows:
Brand representation
Design is significant for bringing a brands’ unique style to life. The choice of materials, colors, typography, logos and images will have a direct impact on how effective point of sale materials will be.
Visual Impact
The design of point of sale materials needs to capture the attention of customers and create a strong visual attraction that stands out amongst other products or services. Eye-catching graphics and beautiful imagery help direct customers to what is being offered.
Clarity of communication
Clear and easy on the eye type of communication is essential in POS design to effectively communicate product features, benefits, pricing and promotions. The design needs to guide the customer to engage with the offer and easily understand what it is about.
Choice of materials
Designers are able to choose the right type of materials for producing POS materials, knowing what cost-effective solutions will be. Durability, visual impact and eco-friendliness of point of sale materials are aspects designers will be able to make informed decisions about.
Continuous improvement
The usage of point of sale materials implies a constant stream of feedback, by retailers, customers, marketers and POS material suppliers. Designers take this feedback and work on point of sale materal iterations that improve results.
Spatial design
Design does not only relate to the point of sale materials as such but to the broader setup. Designers analyse the broader retail space in which these materials will be used and how customers move through these spaces. Based on this they then go ahead and make informed decisions about the type of point of sale materials that will work best.
The integration of technology plays a more and more significant role in improving the effectiveness of custom point of sale materials.
Aspects that are linked to this topic are the use of interactive displays, e.g. touchscreens, customers can engage with, digital signage that can be managed remotely, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, Mobile Integration, Data Collection and Analytics, Personalisation and Inventory Management, e.g. triggering alerts when stock is getting low.
By integrating technology, brands can communicate in a more personalised and efficient way, which leads to higher sales and, if done correctly, improves the overall customer experience.
More than ever before brands pay attention to using materials and practices that prioritise environmental and social responsibility.
Design principles
During the initial point of sale planning stage designers focus on choosing durable and long-lasting solutions, to lower the number of cycles point of sale materials need to be replaced. Quality product design minimises waste and prioritises materials that are renewable, recyclable or biodegradable. This for example refers to products that are made from recycled materials, FSC-certified wood, recycled paper or cardboard, or plant-based plastics.
Supply chains
Companies prioritise to work with suppliers who meet clearly defined standards regarding ethical and sustainable management. Such supply chains ensure workers’ rights and laws are being respected and fair business practices are adhered to. Often this involves 3rd party audits, performed by organisations like ecoVadis and SEDEX, ensuring accountability and traceability.
Local sourcing
When it comes to sourcing raw materials and producing point of sale products brands look for local suppliers and manufacturers. This way they are minimising the carbon footprint linked to transportation and support local communities.
Modular solutions
Brands choose reusable and modular type of point of sale displays that can be reconfigured and repurposed for different promotions. Such products reduce waste and cost.
By integrating ethical and sustainable practices into custom point of sale materials, organisations reduce their carbon footprint, practice social responsibility and connect with what today’s conscious consumers value. This is good for our planet and also contributes to developing a positive brand image and customer loyalty.
Looking for custom POS material for your brand? Take a look at our work or contact us to explore a potential cooperation.