Kiona
Wine, Beer and Spirits
- Packaging
- Web Development
- Web Design
The Job
Revitalize a brand for one of the Red Mountain AVA’s founding families
In 1972, Kiona founder John Williams was the first to plant grapes on Red Mountain, now recognized as one of the most desireable AVAs for Cabernet Sauvignon. Three generations later his grandchildren have taken the reins and are positioning the company for success.
The Challenge
Kiona came to us with a problem: “We’re like the nerdy cousin who helps everyone with their homework but never gets asked to the dance”
Photography for Kiona by Travis Gillett
Implementation
Leaning into their farming history and passion, we helped Kiona craft a brand that stays true to their deep Red Mountain roots.
Finding the Heart of the Matter
Where other agencies may have done a you-don’t-need-these-glasses makeover, we understood that Kiona were farmers through-and-through. If they won the lottery tomorrow they would still wear Carhartt jackets and drive their S-10 pickup with the holes in the floor. We hired a photographer known for his work with Filson, a heritage outdoor brand, to help tell the story of the first family on Red Mountain, three generations deep, unbeholden to banks or outside interests.
Our work included a redrawn logo, complete product line redesign, a new website including new copy, and photography.
An updated look
Kiona’s wordmark had a long history behind it, but certain aspects kept it rooted in its 90’s origins. In certain situations it struggled with readability, and it was clearly a font, versus a bespoke hand-drawn mark. We enlisted calligrapher Mark Davis to redraw it with an eye towards authentic calligraphic strokes and timeless lines.
Packaging Design
Kiona has two primary tiers; Estate Grown wine, and their Columbia Valley apellated wine. We designed full packaging line-ups of both lines, using label size and shape to distinguish between the two tiers and color to distinguish between grapes/blends. Transom has also created packaging designs for limited Kiona releases such as their Cuvée Artemisia blend.
