When the founder of Jaja tequila, Emmett Shine, and designer Matthew Haysom visited Jalisco in Mexico, they found themselves deeply inspired by the technicolor sunsets that illuminated the landscape, evoking the art of Henri Matisse and Mark Rothko. The influence of this vibrant palette is clearly seen in the packaging design of Jaja tequilas.
In terms of typography, Shine and Haysom were keen to reflect the playful spirit of the label design. The team opted for a chiseled, sans serif type that was then dithered, with one of the agave plant cutouts being used as the brand logo. To add a touch of whimsy, they also introduced a handwritten-style font.
The final product is a range of tequilas – blanco, reposado, and añejo – each with a unique color palette inspired by the Jaliscan sunsets. Blanco is characterized by green, reposado sports a dominant orange, and, fittingly, blue represents añejo. Each label showcases an abstract representation of the agave plant, a river or stream, and a setting sun. The Jaja logo and the phrase “En Inglés ‘Haha,’” which translates to “In English ‘Haha,’” are embossed on every bottle.
In an interesting twist, Shine took to TikTok to share the thought process behind the Jaja branding design. This method of presenting a design project through a social media platform typically associated with short-form videos is a fresh approach, potentially paving the way for more of such posts in the future.
