SKYY SPIRITS BRINGS AWARD-WINNING ESPOLON™ TEQUILA BACK TO U.S.
SAN FRANCISCO (May 3, 2010) – Espolón™, the super-premium tequila that evokes the storied culture of “real Mexico,” is returning to the U.S. market. Skyy Spirits, the U.S.-based wholly owned subsidiary of Gruppo Campari and the definitive marketer and distributor of super-premium and luxury spirits brands in North America, is proud to bring this 100-percent Weber Blue Agave tequila brand north of the border again with a new look, yet with the same award-winning liquid.
Espolón was originally introduced in the United States in 2000, garnering praise from Tequila experts and winning a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition as well as a Platinum Rating by the Beverage Testing Institute. Gruppo Campari, who in 2009 bought the Espolón brand along with the San Nicolas Distillery where it is made, is reintroducing the brand following a three year hiatus in the US.
While Espolón’s liquid remains the same, the packaging and look/feel of the brand have been redesigned and repositioned, with a focus on trumpeting life in real Mexico. The new decorative label on each Espolón bottle illustrated by Steven Noble pays tribute to the Mexican artists who inspired the world with true portrayals of the country’s rich history and complex everyday life. Striking, stark block print artwork features the characters of Guadalupe, Rosarita and the proud rooster, Ramón, reliving Mexico’s rich cultural stories.
The Espolón Blanco label, entitled “Independencia,” illustrates Guadalupe and Rosarita joining Father Miguel Hidalgo’s valiant campaign for Mexican independence from Spain. The Espolón Reposado label tells the story of “recuerdo” (“remembrance”), in which Guadalupe and Rosarita grace the markets of Mexico City, the new metropolis built on the fallen Aztec capital. Here, the couple schemes to infuse elements of Aztec culture into every market to ensure the remembrance of that great society. The labels serve to provide history and offer insight into the rich and fascinating stories of real Mexico.
Moosehead Breweries along with Art & Mechanical commissioned Steven Noble to illustrate the new Moosehead brand mark for use on all their brand packaging that includes their classic and symbolic Moose. Moosehead Breweries Limited is Canada's oldest independent brewery, located in Saint John, New Brunswick. The brewery was founded in 1867 and is still privately owned. The symbol of the moose originally came into existence back in 1931 and it was crucial to update this symbol by slightly changing the composition with alterations to the antlers, head and fur and adding a more realistic and clean illustration. Furthermore, they added a collection of three different scalable versions for use on cans, shipping boxes, and signage. The result was a detailed scratchboard engraving style illustration.
