32 Via dei Birrai

Novaidea is an Italian advertising and Graphic studio, who has worked in the fashion sector for more that 20 years, and has recently decided to expand into new sectors. Their latest work is 32 Via dei Birrai:

"32 is the number of the class that includes beer according to the Nice international classification, which indicates and categorises products and services. 32 Via dei Birrai represents a new language in the boundless scenario of the brewery sector. It resets and redefines the usual. It takes the habitual concept of “beer” into another dimension. It becomes design in the form of a bottle.

It involves experimenting in terrain that goes beyond triteness: from the choice of the container to the graphic packaging, from the proposal of culinary combinations to the selection of the places where sales take place. Beer thus becomes an abstract concept, although enriched by colour that draws and kindles the gaze, projecting it into a soft and somewhat mysterious atmosphere.

The circle, a curved line able to outline the brewing tradition cycle and to lead to the discovery of as yet unknown routes, thanks to the happy insight of a skilful master brewer, a business expert and an engineer with a passion for homebrewing.

Whether for fun or for pleasure it is in any case a new brewmaker style, which intends changing the way of perceiving beer and opening it up to complementary worlds. 32 Via dei Birrai has come into being."

Comments

[Brian Arthur]

I get that these guys are Italian and the English language is not native . . . that said, this is the kind of design doublespeak and psychobabble that is the hallmark of self-masturbatory practitioners with little to offer in support of tangible design benefits. "Beer thus becomes an abstract concept, although enriched by colour that draws and kindles the gaze, projecting it into a soft and somewhat mysterious atmosphere." The reality is that you stuck a circle on a bottle, filed it with a number and called it a day. Is it different? Sure. Is that enough, probably. So leave it for what it is. Unless of course you need to justify to the client why it cost them so much money to produce.

[Hmmm…]

I wonder if there is a reason why the Purple one on the far right doesn't have the 23 knocked out of the circle and is instead gold?

Ignoring some of the marketing BS, overall I think they are pretty effective. I do wonder sometimes though what the technical requirements are in Europe – perhaps someone can fill me in? No volume or alcohol statements etc…

[Jon]

They wouldn't be legal in the UK. The law requires alcohol to state the type of alcohol and the ABV and volume on the face of the product.

Oddly, I can't decide if I think these look cheap or classy.

[josephine]

Wow, the description of the design is so self important and audacious. It made me giggle.

[Novaidea]

Being directly involved, we have decided to reply to this comment even though the tone and manner in which it has been made probably does not make a rejoinder worthwhile.We are instead addressing those readers who perhaps grimaced or smiled when reading this Mr Brian Arthur’s colourful way of writing.Firstly, the translation was done by a professional native speaker who has been working for over 20 years in the sector.Perhaps the comment he made was therefore dictated by an unmotivated, conceited self-esteem and smugness over his way of writing just because he comes from an English-speaking country?Secondly, we could not help a pitying smile coming to our lips with regard to such a person when reading the part mentioning self-masturbatory practitioners … how else can you take it?Not wanting to enter into pointless sophisms, we would just like to remind readers of two principles:- geometry and the perfection of the circle (with which many artists have tested their ability and despite being considered “simple” circles, they have other meanings that probably go beyond certain narrow minds)- less is more, in other words the principle by which “removing the superfluous” from graphic designs becomes a way of making them more “understandable” and clearer for all consumers.

Lastly we wish to say that we feel under no obligation to give this person any justification for our work (even though we are somewhat curious about what work he does) or how we decided on the circle – which seems so simple to him with just a number filling it – or why we quoted authors who have written books that have greatly influenced the history and culture of international design…We would give him the time to read them and as a result be able to make a more sensible and well-informed comment.What we are sure about is that a graphic design can be liked or disliked and can stimulate positive or negative emotions but does not pass unnoticed.If and when this person wishes to write to us again with more knowledge of what he is talking about, we will be happy to listen because, as the Greeks and Romans taught, true value is measured by one’s enemies.