The first project run by our office in Mexico couldn’t be more emblematic – the creation of a fresh visual identity system for Olmeca Altos Tequila. In order to create a new global expression of the brand which is sold more than 51 countries – Mexico, United States and the UK being the lead markets – we pulled together a dedicated team of creative experts from our CBA LatAm + CBA London offices, a partnership that combines local cultural expertise and global systems vision.
Hecho en Mexico
Olmeca Altos Tequila is a super-premium brand that honours the quality and tradition of true Mexican Tequila – from the planting and harvesting of the agave to the distillation and ageing process – the brand is full of features that evoke Mexico’s cultural heritage.
Our challenge was to rethink Olmeca Altos’ visual identity system to reflect the brand’s essence, highlighting its authenticity and showcasing the energy and vitality of contemporary Mexico in a fresh, engaging and iconic way.
Colours, textures and a brand signature
To create Olmeca Altos Tequila’s new identity, we used CBA’s Brand Senses methodology – which explores the expression of the brand through all five senses – to establish the brand principles and create the foundations to develop a flexible design system able to provide versatility and rhythm to different communication occasions.
We celebrated the iconic Olmeca Altos bottle as the core element of the brand’s new visual universe, symbolising the quality and authenticity of the spirits creation, as well as the human and artisanal touch. The characteristic shape of Olmeca Altos’ hammered bottle becomes the brand signature, distinguishing it from the other tequilas.
To support the iconic bottle, we built an identity system to convey the complete brand story. To demonstrate the brand’s contrasts and vivacity, we used the iconic blue as our base but built in additional tonal colours to create diversity and pace. We redefined the typography and photographic style with fresh expressions of modern Mexico; and through our authentic and sustainable materials palette we suggested on-trade and and off-trade environments that allowed our consumers to feel the Olmeca Altos experience.
In total the new design system for Olmeca Altos Tequila showcases not only the tradition of the Mexican culture but also its contemporary sophistication.
Through our final toolkit we have armed Olmeca Altos with all the necessary tools to communicate consistently and with a celebratory attitude. The outcome is a dynamic brand experience, richly representing the many authentic facets of Mexico.
