Antonia Skaraki · CLIENT: Elgeka
Hellenic Routes is a reusable wine bottle designed as a cultural keepsake. The rectangular glass bottle has a flat, book-like form that eases handling and storage. The labels are styled as postage stamps and show regional folklore costumes linked to Greek winemaking areas. Premium paper with textured finishes and detailed printing highlight the costume illustrations and the frame elements. The bottle measures 96 mm in width, 42 mm in depth and 175 mm in height. The form invites reuse as a collectible or decorative object.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Hellenic Routes is more than packaging. It is a vessel of cultural storytelling. The bottle, designed like a flat book, carries labels styled as postage stamps, each adorned with regional folklore costumes. This unique approach transforms wine into a journey through Greece's winemaking landscapes, uniting tradition, identity, and modern design.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 96mm x Depth 42mm x Height 175mm
- Tags
- Greece, wine, packaging, design, folklore, tradition, postage stamps, heritage, storytelling, culture, philately, innovation, travel, symbolism, usability
- Production Technology
- The design uses premium paper with textured finishes to enhance the tactile quality of the stamp-like labels. Advanced printing techniques highlight costume details and frame elements, while the rectangular glass bottle recalls a travel book or keepsake. Every material and finish was selected for durability, elegance, and a narrative-rich user experience that extends beyond the wine itself.
- Design Challenge
- The challenge lay in translating Greece's vast cultural diversity into a coherent visual system. Avoiding cliches while remaining authentic required careful selection of symbols like folklore costumes and stamps. External factors such as print accuracy, label durability, and bottle ergonomics shaped the process. The result is packaging that harmonizes heritage, usability, and storytelling.
- Project Duration
- The project started in July 2021 in Athens and finished in December 2024 in Athens.
- Operation Flow
- The bottle's book-like form ensures easy handling and storage while creating a strong shelf presence. Consumers interact with the label as if receiving a letter or postcard, establishing an immediate cultural connection. The design encourages reuse as a collectible or decorative object, making the interaction both functional and symbolic. A continuous journey through Greek heritage.
- Research
- Research combined ethnography, visual studies, and cultural history to capture Greece's relationship with wine. Objectives centered on linking tradition with design through symbolism. Tools included archival research on folklore attire, philately, and regional identity. Iterations tested graphic clarity and production feasibility. Results show a packaging concept that resonates emotionally, highlighting wine as a story-rich cultural ambassador.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration comes from Greece's rich heritage, where wine, culture, and myth are deeply intertwined. The concept of a postage stamp became the bridge, symbolizing messages sent from the country's most treasured vineyards. Each illustration of traditional costumes connects the product to its place of origin, celebrating folklore and authenticity while inviting global audiences to explore Greece.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Art Director Andreas Deskas
Image #2: Art Director Andreas Deskas
Image #3: Art Director Andreas Deskas
Image #4: Art Director Andreas Deskas
Image #5: Art Director Andreas Deskas
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