I’ve been a BIG fan of Buzdovan, Croatia’s first and only craft cider, for a few years now, so the moment the two Buzdovan makers/founders proposed a collaboration felt like the most natural turn of events.
I found myself in an advantageous position as I was both the enthusiastic consumer and an art director entrusted with the complete Buzdovan redesign.
While discussing the redesign, the clients and I agreed the new look should reflect Buzdovan’s soft, playful and funky nature. That led to a decision to design a fairly neutral logo and use illustration as the most important element of the new visual identity.
The two Buzdovan makers/founders as an inspiration for one of the illustrated characters — a levitating two-faced apple that made its way onto a glass.
Buzdovan is mostly enjoyed in the summertime, you drink it outside, with inevitably tipsy friends, so that makes it a fun, social drink. Its social aspect was the main inspiration behind the creation of a cast of illustrated characters who ended up hanging out together on the new bottle labels and merch.
Buzdovan Apple&Ginger should be flipped upside down before drinking, hence the cheeky bat.
Apple and elderflower enjoying a bath on Buzdovan (you guessed it!) Apple&Elderflower label.
All of the illustrated characters play important roles in the cider making process — funky apples, mushroom that represents yeast (the main player in apple fermentation), a bat — nature’s pesticide superhero that keeps the apple orchard’s insect population in balance, an elderflower — a wonderful cider pairing…
Buzdovan’s cast of characters out on the town on the Dry Apple label.
Buzdovan Red Apple gang riding around in a red convertible.
Buzdovan (mace in croatian, as in medieval weapon) got its name from a legend that describes how an apple tree sprouted in the exact place where a thrown mace hit the ground, so the final character I created had to be Mace - a gentle giant making all of the cute weirdos come together.
Buzdovan’s canvas bag and stickers. The thing I’ll never admit to is I do it all for the free merch :)