Gold Packaging Design · 2025
128 Bpm Gin Packaging
by Ximena Ureta
- A' Design Award 2025 Gold Winner in Packaging Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Contraseña Magazine
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 110,988
- Verification code 0E29637C28 · Verify this award
About 128 Bpm Gin Packaging
128 Bpm is a packaging and label design for a gin bottle. The name refers to a musical tempo of 128 beats per minute, a rate linked to the rhythm of a happy heart. The concept is based on the Blues, a musical genre that shaped many later styles. Birds represent the travel of music through history and also gather the botanicals used in gin. Wings stand for creative freedom. The front and back labels are printed on self adhesive cotton paper with a matte, velvety finish. Gold foil, varnish, embossing and debossing complete the design.
128 Bpm Gin Packaging by Ximena Ureta emerges from a contemporary design tradition that seeks to synthesize artisanal authenticity with sophisticated visual communication, positioning itself within the broader cultural moment wherein craft spirits have become vehicles for narrative and aesthetic experience as much as for sensory pleasure. The packaging system demonstrates exceptional command of the relationship between illustration and typography, employing a central figurative image rendered in a technique that evokes the precision of nineteenth-century steel engraving while maintaining distinctly contemporary sensibilities in its compositional arrangement and chromatic choices. The illustrative protagonist, depicted with instrument in hand and accompanied by an avian companion, suggests themes of artistic creation, rhythmic expression, and the harmonious relationship between human creativity and natural beauty, the musical reference embedded within the numerical designation creating conceptual unity across visual and verbal registers. Technical accomplishment manifests throughout: the linear rendering achieves remarkable delicacy and tonal range through variation in cross-hatching density, while the typographic treatment balances bold impact with refined detail, the golden numerals achieving dimensional presence through what appears to be specialty print finishing that rewards close examination. The chromatic strategy operates with precision, establishing ultramarine and cobalt blues as the dominant family while introducing golden ochre as strategic accent, this complementary relationship creating visual vibrancy without sacrificing the sophisticated restraint appropriate to premium positioning. The transparent glass vessel containing luminous cerulean liquid introduces materiality and light as expressive elements, the bottle becoming not merely container but visual poetry, its contents appearing to glow with concentrated botanical essence. One might observe how the design successfully navigates the tension between heritage references and contemporary freshness, neither falling into nostalgic pastiche nor abandoning the sense of craft tradition that distinguishes artisanal spirits from industrial production. The packaging invites contemplation of the relationship between different creative practices, music and distillation, art and craft, suggesting that the same attentiveness and devotion to rhythm that characterizes musical composition might inform the creation of exceptional spirits. Viewers are encouraged to consider how visual design can communicate sensory experience before a bottle is even opened, creating anticipation and establishing the framework within which flavor itself will be understood and appreciated.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Bpm (Beats per minute) is the tempo of a song.
For example, Hip hop ranges between 60 and 90 Bpm, while electronic music is between 120 and 140 Bpm.
There’s a magic number 128 Bpm because it aligns with the heartbeat of a happy heart. That is, if the person responsible for mixing may match the music to the 128 Bpm heart rate, they’ll achieve the perfect mix. - Dimensions & Packaging
- The front and back labels of 128 Bpm were printed on self adhesive Fasson Cotton White paper. Front label dimensions: 11.8 cm x 13.3 cm; back label: 66.3 cm x 66.6 cm. The Fasson Cotton White paper is matte white, uncoated, and wood free, made of 100% cotton. It features an exclusive velvety finish for a great tactile cotton feel. It is moisture-resistant and has fungicide treatments.
- Tags
- Packaging, design, label, 128 Bpm, Ximena Ureta, Gin, Chilean designer, Avery Dennison, Chilean Designer, Blue Gin.
- Production Technology
- The front label and back label were printed on 120gr Fasson Cotton White paper. The label was printed using digital technology on an HP Indigo machine with 6 special colors and 1 color in Flexography with Kurz 425 gold foil and glossy varnish with reserved areas. It was finished on a Digicon machine with mechanical embossing and debossing. The back label was also produced with digital technology on an Hp Indigo machine, printed with 1 special color, and finished on the Digicon machine.
The collar was printed on Cuvee Collier paper in 6 colors using an HP machine, with semi gloss varnish and die cut finishing on a Digicon machine. - Design Challenge
- The challenge of this project was to create a concept for a Gin brand that, on one hand, aligned with 128 Bpm as a number in harmony with a happy heart, and on the other, embraced Blues as a musical genre. The color blue was used to paint the Blues blue. The wings in this project symbolize creative freedom, and the birds refer to the migration of music and the journey of Blues throughout history as it evolved to the present day. The birds in this packaging are also the collectors of the botanicals, which are the heart of gin.
- Project Duration
- 128 Bpm was launched in Chile on September 4, 2024.
- Operation Flow
- This packaging was created for an article on Contraseña Magazine and will be launched at Print Santiago 2024.
- Research
- Looking at the family tree of music, one can see that Blues holds a foundational place in the history of music. Its evolution and influence can be seen in most musical styles of the 20th century. Jazz, rap, rock, rock and roll, and pop all have Blues in their DNA.
Research identified the guitar brands most favored by renowned artists for playing Blues. The guitar for this packaging was inspired by a D’ Angelico Deluxe guitar, a model that exists in blue. This brand has crafted guitars specifically for styles like Jazz and Blues. - Inspiration
- The inspiration for this project comes from songs rooted in Blues as a musical genre.
Songs like "How was it for you" by Snowy White, which features a guitar solo and minimal lyrics, have influenced the creation of this packaging.
For this project, a special Blues track was created at 128 Bpm called Gin Blues. - Image Credits
- Generalist: Alvaro Garrido.
Illustration: Benjamin Dieguez
Photography and video: Juan Pablo Dominguez
Music: Sebastián Prado.
Colors of 128 Bpm Gin Packaging
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