The Food Network – Wine Balloon
Background
Swerve was selected from a group of top design agencies to be the branding experts for the new Food Network show, Kitchen Inventors.
Assessment
The show's hosts, Steve Greenberg and Patrick Raymond, scouted the United States looking for the next million-dollar idea. For the first episode, Swerve was asked to rebrand the Wine Balloon, a tool used to seal an unfinished bottle of wine. The inventor, Eric Corti, had been selected from three finalists; but his packaging needed improvement. Structurally, the Wine Balloon was packaged in a small box that made it hard for the consumer to understand the actual size of the product, as well as recessive on shelf. Graphically, the visuals did not provide clear information on how to use the product. Also, the name was confusing and not supportive of the function. Swerve conducted its rapid consumer research process to guide the new positioning, name, structure and graphic design for the Wine Balloon.
Solution
Swerve’s research proved that wine consumers were interested in the new product but were looking for both an updated, modern design and a reusable pack in which they could store their Wine Balloon after use. Swerve created iconography to help explain the process, while the giftable and striking new package allowed the product to be the hero. Additionally, the new name, Air Cork, supported the functional aspect of the product, helping the consumer understand that as the product was a replacement for the cork. Due to the success of the rebranding, the inventor sold Air Cork to Lifetime Brands, which is currently in the process of manufacturing the product for sale in stores nationwide.