The Opportunity:
Fetzer has been crafting Gewürztraminer for over 25 years, but many consumers struggle with the varietal’s name. Most purchases rely on visual familiarity and associations with holiday meals like Thanksgiving. To connect with younger generations while staying true to their roots, Fetzer needed a bold, approachable way to make Gewürztraminer unforgettable.
The Strategy:
Armed with a vision from Fetzer’s brand manager, oneteam™ (the partnership between Affinity Creative Group and kabookaboo Digital Marketing) refined the script to pack a punch in 60 seconds, ideal for Instagram and short-form ads. Partnering with Farallon Films, oneteam™ cast talent, designed a custom bottle costume, and turned Affinity’s historic Mare Island mansion into the perfect set. oneteam™ led art direction and optimized content to blend humor and relatability, making the unapproachable accessible.
The Results:
The “It’s Just Gew” campaign delivered a fun, inclusive message that resonated with younger audiences without alienating loyal fans. The tagline highlighted the wine’s ease and versatility, proving that good taste doesn’t have to be intimidating. And, the video was just the beginning of a Fetzgiving campaign that extended to in-store activations reminding consumers of the “perfect pairing” during the holiday shopping season.
Catch the full video to see how Fetzer and oneteam™ are redefining content.
About Affinity Creative Group and oneteam™:
Affinity Creative Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary agency dedicated to delivering exceptional work for great clients. With a focus on brand development, packaging, content creation, websites, and retail activation, we have spent the last decade overdelivering on objectives and producing exquisite results.
As we enter our next decade, we are proud to announce our strategic alliance with kabookaboo—a digital-first agency founded in 2001 by Ari Rollnick. Together, we form oneteam™, a modern partnership of two world-class agencies working together to capture attention and drive amazing results.
For more information about Affinity Creative Group, visit AffinityCreative.com or call 707.562.2787
An Unboxing Experience Worthy of Donum Estate
Donum is celebrated for its exquisite wines, sustainable farming practices, and impressive art collection. Recently, they decided to shift focus and shine a light on something equally special: their estate-grown honey!
Our Role: Create an Unforgettable Unboxing Experience
This project was about more than just packaging; it was about crafting an experience that embodies Donum’s ethos of sustainability, community, and quality. The goal was to design an unboxing experience that resonates with their esteemed reputation and delightfully surprises their customers.
The Winning Box Includes:
- 1 Jar of Donum’s Natural, Raw Estate-Grown Honey: A true testament to their commitment to quality and sustainability.
- A Locally Crafted Ceramic Honey Jar: Each jar is artisan-made, reflecting the craftsmanship and creativity of local artisans.
- 1 Authentic Wooden Honey Spoon: A beautiful, functional addition that enhances the honey-drizzling experience.
- An Insert Featuring the Student Artist: This insert highlights the talented student who designed the packaging’s iconic bee, bridging art and community.
Two local partnerships were formed to make this unboxing experience one-of-a-kind:
- The Oxbow School: This local art-focused institution organized a school-wide contest for students to create the ultimate bee design. Their creativity infused the packaging with youthful energy and originality.
- A Local Ceramic Artist: Collaborating with a talented local artist ensured that each honey jar was uniquely crafted, adding a personal touch that embodies the spirit of the community.
With these partnerships solidified, our team dove into the design process. We meticulously crafted the honey jar package, inserts, and box elements, ensuring that every detail was thoughtfully considered. It was essential that all materials were sustainably produced, creating a clean and natural aesthetic that aligns with Donum’s artistic and premium brand identity. The final design not only highlights Donum’s commitment to sustainability but also celebrates the artistry involved in each component. This unboxing experience is a tribute to the care and dedication that goes into every aspect of Donum's offerings.
About Affinity Creative Group:
Affinity Creative Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary agency dedicated to delivering exceptional work for great clients. With a focus on brand development, packaging, content creation, websites, and retail activation, we have spent the last decade overdelivering on objectives and producing exquisite results.
As we enter our next decade, we are proud to announce our strategic alliance with kabookaboo—a digital-first agency founded in 2001 by Ari Rollnick. Together, we form oneteam™, a modern partnership of two world-class agencies working together to capture attention and drive amazing results.
For more information about Affinity Creative Group, visit AffinityCreative.com or call 707.562.2787
A Brand Refresh as Meticulous as the Wines of Paul Hobbs
Just as Paul Hobbs crafts each vintage with precision and care, he and his team bring the same dedication to refining every consumer touchpoint. After an internal review revealed that while their wines set the highest standard, their packaging, website, and product photography did not fully reflect the exceptional quality of their brand, they turned to Affinity Creative Group to help elevate these key elements.
Award-Winning Label Design: Elevating Tradition with Modern Elegance
Affinity Creative Group began by revitalizing Paul Hobbs’ labels and packaging across all tiers of wine. The goal? To preserve the brand’s heritage while enhancing the consumer experience to mirror the superior quality of their acclaimed wines. The refreshed designs introduced strong typography, an updated color palette, and a refined illustration of the iconic leaf, complemented by premium finishing effects like foil stamping and textured embosses. These details not only elevated the look and feel of the packaging but also established a clear hierarchy across the entire portfolio.
And the results speak for themselves: the new design has already garnered prestigious accolades, including a First Place Award and two People’s Choice Awards from the WBM PACK Design Awards, as well as a Silver Medal from the Graphis Design Awards. This recognition reflects the successful collaboration between Paul Hobbs and Affinity Creative in creating packaging worthy of the wines within.
Redefining the Digital Experience
With the packaging refresh complete, the next phase was to reimagine the Paul Hobbs Winery website. The goal was to build a visually captivating and intuitive online experience that reflects Paul Hobbs' 30-year legacy of crafting world-class wines. Key objectives included simplifying the path to purchase, seamlessly integrating e-commerce, showcasing the unique estate vineyards and their stories, and highlighting the luxurious visitor experiences. The redesigned site incorporates new quality cues, nostalgic elements, and a thoughtful hierarchy to guide visitors through every aspect of the brand. Explore the new website at paulhobbswinery.com.
Capturing the Brand Essence Through Photography
The final step was translating the refreshed brand identity into product photography. Affinity Creative Group set out to capture imagery that not only communicates the modernized aesthetic of the packaging and website but also reflects the personal connection between Paul Hobbs, his estate in Sonoma County, and the artistic influence of Christina Hobbs. The resulting photography showcases both individual wine products and family groupings in a luxurious, contemporary style—ideal for use in print ads, the website, and the Paul Hobbs Winery member catalog.
A Subtle Evolution, A Lasting Impact
Paul Hobbs Winery’s brand evolution is a testament to the power of thoughtful updates. From award-winning packaging to an elevated digital presence and captivating product photography, each subtle change reinforces the essence of their extraordinary wines. With Affinity Creative Group as their partner, Paul Hobbs Winery has entered an exciting new chapter, balancing tradition with modern sophistication.
About Affinity Creative Group:
Affinity Creative Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary agency dedicated to delivering exceptional work for great clients. With a focus on brand development, packaging, content creation, websites, and retail activation, we have spent the last decade overdelivering on objectives and producing exquisite results.
As we enter our next decade, we are proud to announce our strategic alliance with kabookaboo—a digital-first agency founded in 2001 by Ari Rollnick. Together, we form oneteam™, a modern partnership of two world-class agencies working together to capture attention and drive amazing results.
For more information about Affinity Creative Group, visit AffinityCreative.com or call 707.562.2787
Insight from Affinity Creative Group
Once again, Affinity Creative Group has received a bounty of accolades for their clients from several design competitions, including WBM PACK and Graphis Design Awards. To shine light on creating an award-winning package, and why it matters, we spoke with Ed Rice, President of Affinity Creative Group, a oneteam™ partner agency.
Awards DO Matter
Mr. Rice explains the very act of entering a design competition communicates confidence, reveals commitment to creativity and shows the value in making a marketing ‘statement’. Branding is all about differentiation. The willingness to compare your brand’s visual presentation to a range of other contenders says you’ve done your homework, you believe in your brand’s positioning and are unafraid to be judged, whether by professionals, the public or by the competition. Winning a design contest says a lot about your ability to partner with a creative agency, add appeal to your offerings and ‘know’ your customers. It also doesn’t hurt getting the recognition, honors and attention that accompanies award anointment. Great visibility, messaging and content are valuable incremental benefits of achieving recognition, particularly in today’s challenging marketing environment.
Same Principles Apply, Regardless of Segment
Ed emphasizes the principles for achieving success in design award accumulation apply across all segments of the wine category, albeit with modifications relative to your ‘home’ on the competitive landscape. “It’s all about understanding your customer, assessing your competitors and crafting a meaningful story, verbally and visually,” says Rice. To explain further, he reviewed recent competitive Affinity ‘wins’ for clients across a range of market segments: off premise, both popular and premium, and DTC/Luxury offerings.
Winning Awards Means Winning at Retail
“For instance, if you sell your wines off-premise in the highly competitive $10 to $20 range and you’re winning design competitions, you know your package design is working for you—attracting attention, creating intrigue and motivating purchase”, remarked Mr. Rice. Here, are a few examples of current Affinity client wins:
Coppola’s Vibrance Pinot Grigio, recently receiving Medal recognition from the 2024 WBM PACK Design Awards, exemplifies successful packaging in the premium retail category. With its focus on "better for you" attributes—low calorie and low alcohol—the judges commented on how Affinity’s design effectively and prominently highlights these features. The use of the distinctive brandmark and diamond device, with embossing and foil accents, underscores attributes of attention to detail, high quality and broad appeal.
Acidity Trip, with a Silver Medal win from Graphis, features a trio of wines with labels effectively telling the brand story, creating smiles and capturing attention on the shelf. The Graphis judging panel recognized how the vibrant colors and unique font choices aligned with the lively brand identity. They also noted practical considerations, like a screwcap closure, for consumers to enjoy the wine in casual settings.
Old Soul, another Silver Medal Graphis winner, presents a nostalgic yet playful design. Judges appreciated all aspects of the completely redesigned package featuring a custom illustration and embossed, gold-foil effects, (a big departure from the previous mono-color screenprint design). The new label design highlights both heritage and quality while appearing new and fresh in its retail competitive set.
Winning at Luxury Means Superior Signaling
“If you’re operating at the luxury level, selling your wines in the $80 to $150 range, and winning awards, your packaging design is truly sending the right signals. Collecting Medals from competitive creative contests suggests you’re doing great at conveying authenticity, exclusivity and narrative,” says Ed. He provides these two luxury success stories:
Paul Hobbs Wines garnered four awards via Affinity Creative’s delicate design treatments: From WBM PACK Design Awards, First Place in the Luxury category, a People’s Choice Award in the same category, and a People’s Choice Award in the Packaging Series category; plus a Silver Medal bestowed from Graphis. The judges noted the tasteful design refresh, while preserving all of the brand’s core identity elements. By updating leaf illustrations, color palettes, and incorporating gold foil, the packaging evolution improves and clarifies the portfolio tiering system, attracting new customers while retaining the brand equity relationship with existing loyalists. Ed added, “The four awards earned by our work on Paul Hobbs Wines, and other positive feedback in the industry, is proof positive of the close collaboration, clear communication and trusted partnership we’ve established together. We are incredibly honored to have influenced the continued success and increased trajectory of this storied brand.”
Force & Grace, a Graphis Silver Medal recipient, for their launch kit designed by Affinity Creative Group. Graphis judges noted the elegant use of black, the unique opening feature and the clever accommodation of a complementary silk scarf and detailed information card. All components work together in enhancing the unboxing experience.
Awards Aside, Design Does Matter
In conclusion, Mr. Rice adds, “Whether or not you elect to enter creative award competitions, I recommend you manage your packaging design efforts as though you are doing so. Paying attention to every square inch, every element and each word on your label, bottle and closure, will pay dividends, regardless of where, how or when you compete.”
About Affinity Creative Group:
Affinity Creative Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary agency dedicated to delivering exceptional work for great clients. With a focus on brand development, packaging, content creation, websites, and retail activation, we have spent the last decade overdelivering on objectives and producing exquisite results.
As we enter our next decade, we are proud to announce our strategic alliance with kabookaboo—a digital-first agency founded in 2001 by Ari Rollnick. Together, we form oneteam™, a modern partnership of two world-class agencies working together to capture attention and drive amazing results.
For more information about Affinity Creative Group, visit AffinityCreative.com or call 707.562.2787
Opportunity to Innovate:
The release of a new wine under the Francis Coppola Diamond Collection banner is always an event of significance in the wine world. The latest addition, the Diamond Collection Vibrance Pinot Grigio, continues this tradition of excellence, representing a fusion of innovation and tradition.
Our team eagerly embraced the opportunity to collaborate on this exciting project, from conceptualizing the name to crafting the design for this premium, low-calorie wine. The name "Vibrance" was selected to reflect both the lively flavors of the Pinot Grigio and the emotional connection it evokes in consumers. This vibrancy had to be mirrored in the packaging, and we set out to achieve just that.
Design Excellence:
The design incorporates bold, vibrant colors, quality cues, and, of course, Coppola’s iconic diamond emblem. Each element was thoughtfully placed, with special attention given to highlighting the wine’s low-calorie and low-carb benefits. The result is a package that not only captures attention but also conveys the premium nature of the wine.
Vibrance Pinot Grigio is poised to become a standout in the "better-for-you" wine segment and has already taken home a 3rd Place Award in the prestigious PACK Design Awards. This new release is a testament to the enduring legacy of the Diamond Collection, and we look forward to its success!!
About Affinity Creative Group:
Affinity Creative Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary agency dedicated to delivering exceptional work for great clients. With a focus on brand development, packaging, content creation, websites, and retail activation, we have spent the last decade overdelivering on objectives and producing exquisite results.
As we enter our next decade, we are proud to announce our strategic alliance with kabookaboo—a digital-first agency founded in 2001 by Ari Rollnick. Together, we form oneteam™, a modern partnership of two world-class agencies working together to capture attention and drive amazing results.
For more information about Affinity Creative Group, visit AffinityCreative.com or call 707.562.2787
Evolving An Allstar
When all things seem to be going well with your brand and packaging, is there still a way to make it even better?
Absolutely!
This was the case with Francis Ford Coppola Winery Diamond Collection and Affinity Creative Group’s incredible packaging refresh. As one of the most recognized super-premium wine brands, Coppola’s image and package was already considered a huge success. What they needed was something else: a clearer hierarchy between their wines.
The Challenge
To give Francis Coppola Diamond Collection what they needed, we would have to make changes so small they could go unnoticed, but defining enough that they wouldn’t. We had to get it just right.
The Result
Using subtle tweaks, adding pops of color, and optimizing the use of their iconic premium gold netting, we were able to give Coppola’s Diamond Collection the progression it desired.
Claret: The ultra-premium star of the show would keep its defining black color with the highly-recognizable Coppola diamond, gold foil and premium netting.
Appellation Series: The addition of Coppola’s now-iconic gold netting would add instant value to this tier, with rich, muted colors and gold foiling to indicate the premium quality.
The Everyday Collection: Bold and vibrant, with new pops of color and silver foil to further distinguish the tiers, this collection embodies its namesake: perfect for the everyday.
The result: 3 defining tiers, 1 awe-inspiring brand.
About Affinity Creative Group:
Affinity Creative Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary agency dedicated to delivering exceptional work for great clients. With a focus on brand development, packaging, content creation, websites, and retail activation, we have spent the last decade overdelivering on objectives and producing exquisite results.
As we enter our next decade, we are proud to announce our strategic alliance with kabookaboo—a digital-first agency founded in 2001 by Ari Rollnick. Together, we form oneteam™, a modern partnership of two world-class agencies working together to capture attention and drive amazing results.
For more information about Affinity Creative Group, visit AffinityCreative.com or call 707.562.2787
A Brand Refresh Worthy of the Next Generation
When a timeless brand needs a timeless design, we’re up for the challenge! So was the case for Harney Lane Vineyards, a staple of Lodi wine country, having farmed their estate since 1906. With strong family history and a reputation for crafting exquisite, estate wine, Harney Lane’s challenge to us was clear: Design a new label that would welcome the next generation of wine aficionados, while still celebrating their core consumers.
Grace + Grit: Looking To The Future
The Harney Lane team came to Affinity Creative Group after having refreshed their brand platform. Through that exercise, Grace + Grit emerged as the brand essence and new north star. To align the package with this it should feel sophisticated, friendly, casual, authentic, and knowledgeable.
Achieving Balance: Approachable Rustic Elegance
After many iterations and meticulous finetuning, the perfect design emerged. Leveraging a unique, angled label that aligns with a newly developed signature Harney “H,” we were able to reimagine Harney Lane’s core equities. The copper foil elements provided luxury quality queues with distressed undertones. The stone texture, modeled off of the landscape of Harney Lane’s own estate, winds through the background - the final touch that pulls together the timeless, rustic elegance of this enduring brand.
Join us in welcoming a new design for Harney Lane Vineards, ready for a new generation of wine lovers! And imagine what Affinity Creative Group can do for you!
About Affinity Creative Group:
Affinity Creative Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary agency dedicated to delivering exceptional work for great clients. With a focus on brand development, packaging, content creation, websites, and retail activation, we have spent the last decade overdelivering on objectives and producing exquisite results.
As we enter our next decade, we are proud to announce our strategic alliance with kabookaboo—a digital-first agency founded in 2001 by Ari Rollnick. Together, we form oneteam™, a modern partnership of two world-class agencies working together to capture attention and drive amazing results.
For more information about Affinity Creative Group, visit AffinityCreative.com or call 707.562.2787
The Challenge: Raising the Bar and Celebrating Women in Wine
Distinguished Vineyards has always championed gender equity in the wine industry, proudly showcasing their women-led wineries. This year, they wanted Women’s History Month to celebrate the incredible women behind these wineries and expand their community. We were thrilled to take on this meaningful challenge.
The 5-Pronged Approach to Highlighting Women in Wine
To give Distinguished Vineyards the recognition they deserved, we developed a comprehensive 1-month social media campaign focused on the wineries, the talented women winemakers, and exciting promotions. We produced engaging video reels and compelling visuals to connect authentically with the audience. A central landing page was created as the hub for all activities and sweepstakes. Our giveaway, featuring over 20 prizes including a wine country getaway, boosted engagement. Finally, targeted ads helped us reach the ideal audience.
A Win for Women in Wine and Distinguished Vineyards
We are proud to share the outstanding results of our campaign. With over 10k giveaway entries, 3k new email subscribers, 14.5k new social media followers, 40k landing page views, and 704k impressions, the campaign far exceeded our expectations. The community around Distinguished Vineyards has grown, and awareness of the progress in the wine industry has been amplified.
We are honored to support gender equity in the wine industry. Join us in toasting to the amazing women in wine and raising our glasses to raising the bar!
About Affinity Creative Group:
Affinity Creative Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary agency dedicated to delivering exceptional work for great clients. With a focus on brand development, packaging, content creation, websites, and retail activation, we have spent the last decade overdelivering on objectives and producing exquisite results.
As we enter our next decade, we are proud to announce our strategic alliance with kabookaboo—a digital-first agency founded in 2001 by Ari Rollnick. Together, we form oneteam™, a modern partnership of two world-class agencies working together to capture attention and drive amazing results.
For more information about Affinity Creative Group, visit AffinityCreative.com or call 707.562.2787.
Unveiling the Challenge: Crafting an Ad That Stands Out
When Cork Supply of Portugal sought a creative partner to amplify their message, they turned to us. The challenge? Create an advertisement for the VINC cork that transcended the traditional focus on the product itself. Instead, the ad needed to embody VINC's core values of sustainability and natural materials while capturing the essence of their brand.
The Creative Approach: Capturing Nature's Beauty
With creativity as our compass, we embarked on a journey to capture the essence of VINC's mission. After numerous iterations and brainstorming sessions, the vision crystallized: a majestic cork tree, rooted in sustainability and reaching for the sky. Photographically rendered with painstaking detail, the tree became a symbol of VINC's commitment to the planet, surrounded by native wildlife that calls Portugal home.
Revealing the Outcome: Good for the Planet, Even Better for Your Wine
With the perfect image in place, we introduced the tagline that encapsulated VINC's ethos: "Good for the Planet, Even Better for your Wine." It was more than just an ad – it was a declaration of VINC's dedication to sustainability and the role their cork plays in preserving our planet's natural beauty.
Let's raise a glass to a more sustainable future with VINC! Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push the boundaries of sustainability and innovation in the cork industry. Share your feedback with us in the comments below and join the conversation on sustainability and eco-conscious practices. Together, we can create a brighter, greener future!
About Affinity Creative Group:
Affinity Creative Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary agency dedicated to delivering exceptional work for great clients. With a focus on brand development, packaging, content creation, websites, and retail activation, we have spent the last decade overdelivering on objectives and producing exquisite results.
As we enter our next decade, we are proud to announce our strategic alliance with kabookaboo—a digital-first agency founded in 2001 by Ari Rollnick. Together, we form oneteam™, a modern partnership of two world-class agencies working together to capture attention and drive amazing results.
For more information about Affinity Creative Group and our collaboration with PackagingArts on the Force & Grace project, visit AffinityCreative.com or call 707.562.2787.
In the heart of California's wine country, Force & Grace emerges as a testament to the harmonious blend of strength and elegance. Founded by Joseph Carr, a vintner with a background in both athleticism and dance, Force & Grace celebrates the artistry of winemaking in a truly unique way.
THE VISION - CREATING A MASTERPIECE
Tasked with capturing the essence of Force & Grace beyond the digital realm, Affinity Creative Group and PackagingArts collaborated to elevate the brand's presence through tangible expressions. Our focus was on crafting secondary packaging that echoed the same finesse and dynamism found in each bottle of Force & Grace wine.
THE EXECUTION - AN ELEGANT UNVEILING
Introducing the Selling Brand Kit: a sophisticated presentation complete with a luxurious set of materials including a silk lined bed for a bottle of wine and inserts capturing the essence of Force & Grace, finished with the photographer's signature. By intertwining texture, fabric, and movement, we mirrored the beauty of Force & Grace's wine in every aspect of the packaging.
THE RESULT - A HARMONY OF CONTRASTS
The elegance and strength that define Force & Grace wines now extend seamlessly to their Selling Brand Kit. It was a privilege to be entrusted with bringing this vision to life and infusing each element with the brand's essence.
About Affinity Creative Group:
Affinity Creative Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary agency dedicated to delivering exceptional work for great clients. With a focus on brand development, packaging, content creation, websites, and retail activation, we have spent the last decade overdelivering on objectives and producing exquisite results.
As we enter our next decade, we are proud to announce our strategic alliance with kabookaboo—a digital-first agency founded in 2001 by Ari Rollnick. Together, we form oneteam™, a modern partnership of two world-class agencies working together to capture attention and drive amazing results.
For more information about Affinity Creative Group and our collaboration with PackagingArts on the Force & Grace project, visit AffinityCreative.com or call 707.562.2787.
About PackagingArts:
The team at PackagingArts is all about innovative design, strategy and turn-key solutions in packaging, promotions and displays for brands at the retail floor, as well as on premise environments. We connect leading brands to the market and the consumer with a high level of merchandising experience. We work with your brand team to create and promote greater brand value. We deliver innovative ideas, clarity of purpose and a relevant experience, while maintaining brand consistency. Ask us to help with your next promotion and see the results spike in your sales. Let's discuss how your package, display or promotion can successfully deliver greater impact and emotion! Visit PackagingArts.com