Selection 23 [Range]

Zilzie Wines is family owned and operated out of Mildura. Today, the fourth generation of the Forbes family, are fortunate to be the custodians of the Zilzie property and possess an unwavering commitment to the land. The four pillars of the brand are heart, land, river and hands. Selection 23 has been a part of the Zilzie portfolio for almost 20 years and although has had a few facelifts over the years, this was the first time we were visually honouring its heritage since its original launch in 2003. It could be said that consumers previously weren’t aware that the name Selection 23 actually comes from the original block of land nestled near the Murray River where the family first started their journey in the early 1900’s - it was time to tell the story of Selection 23.

As a key brand in Zilzie’s portfolio it was important that a new design be able to stand out on its own - but still maintain a sense of cohesiveness with Zilzie’s other ranges. This meant the design had to be organic in nature, and assist in reflecting the four pillars of the company - heart, land, river & hands. Being offered across retail stores, venues and events, the range needed to be striking and energetic with great shelf presence, whilst still maintaining its ties to the Zilzie vibe and the Selection 23 land it is representative of. It also needed to be distinguishable by variety being such an extensive range. The range has a strong history within the company and has been known and loved by its consumers since its launch, so it was important to maintain that relationship and assure people they were still getting the same wine they know and love, just with a fresh new look. Lastly, the winery wanted to highlight their commitment to Environment & Sustainability, and protecting the land they have built the company on for four generations.

The main element of the label design is an artistic interpretation of the aerial topography of the land surrounding the Zilzie Estate (originally Selection 23). Using a rich, earthy colour palette, each label was designed with a colour reflective of the variety, a theme that’s in-keeping across other wine ranges produced by Zilzie - it allows each variety to be celebrated individually but creates a striking and energetic set of wines when together as a line-up. The Zilzie logo is front and centre, harnessing the strength of the brand, with Selection 23 reading clearly to remind consumers it’s the same brand they know and love. Printed on uncoated, textured paper stock, the design is reflective of the land surrounding the Zilzie property, but highlights the ever-important river using gold that weaves through the abstract background, accents of gold foiling are scattered throughout to champion the importance of the river, which is also reiterated on the screw cap closures of the wines. The reverse label shares the original inspiration behind the brand; the map image of Selection 23 with the words ‘where it all began’... it was important to us to continue to tell this story in further detail. Each variety also shares some of our environment & sustainability commitments, and explains that the range is now packaged in lighter-weight glass, an essential step toward protecting the environment and the land that is Selection 23. Zilzie is rich in family history and the final redesign of Selection 23 tells that story.

The relaunch of Selection 23 didn’t stop with the labels, the design elements of the range follow it throughout social media, point of sale as well as print and digital advertising - video content was also created to help tell the story to our customers and assist distributors in sharing it for us. And the response has been wonderful, from distributors and customers alike, the feedback on the new labels has been great. The Selection 23 brand is now more easily recognised as being from Zilzie’s portfolio, existing customers have expressed that they love the look and vibe and we have also been able to reach a new audience that may not have heard of us before.