Video Graphics for Robert Lokody Project

My friend, Rob Lokody, a very talented free-lance writer and poet, recently asked me to do typography and graphics for a spot ad he recently produced.  Rob is a former ad executive and the office head of Saatchi and Saatchi Advertising, Budapest.

The ad is for a church in Connecticut and far from being "preachy," it is quite original and fresh. Though his church is not mine, I was pleased to be asked to help with this project, as this organization is open and welcoming in it's views.

So, a final cut of this ad will be posted soon, along with contact information, should anyone want to contact Robert Lokody for copywriting, advertising and producing work.

Clip coming soon-

New Wild Scotsman Whisky Branding Unveiled

Jeffery Topping, owner and blend master of Wild Scotsman Whisky, needed a new image for his brand. His top-quality Scotch whiskys were not getting the proper shelf attention to garner the price point they deserve.

So he hired me to redo his image and together, we developed something truly unique, arresting and effective.

The new bottling has been recently shipped to the U.S. and is on sale in various locations that can be found be visiting Jeffery's site: www.wildscotsman.com.

The package has bold new branding, with a red, serpentine "WS" background coming out of a black background. Some areas include a subtle Celtic knot-work background pattern. Gold accents and a thistle and shield crest make this a tribute to Scot history, but with an edge. This is a premium dram, yes, but not your grandpa's whisky, for sure.

A line of whiskeys based on this new branding is being developed, with different ages and blends as well as sizes. A mini bottle version is being developed as well.

If you are looking for the "real stuff," bottled by the House of MacDuff, supervised by Jeff, as well as the legendary whisky maker John MacDougall...here you go. The slogan, "History of a Nation in Just one Dram" says it all.

Digital printing services for this product were provided by Labels Unlimited, U.S.A. of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Tele: (757) 340 8893.

Vino Curioso at Culpeper Wine & Food Festival

Late in the season, there is a great wine festival in quaint, downtown Culpeper, Virginia. Old railroad town, antebellum buildings, the whole bit. Great place to hold a festival when they block off the streets and put in booths and a bandstand for music.

I helped pour for my friend and winery owner/wine maker Michael Matthews (in the photo), of Vino Curioso (Winchester, VA). These shots are from the end of the day, so don't show the crowds, but it was a good day in general and the quality wines of Vino Curioso...one of the few wineries in the Commonwealth to make a Sangiovese wine...were a big hit. Sold out, in fact.

Check out Vino Curioso wines at http://www.vinocurioso.com.

Digital printing services for Vino Curioso products were provided by Labels Unlimited, U.S.A. of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Tele: (757) 340 8893.

Philip Carter Fall Festival

This is a little late, but I just came across a few photos from a festival a wine client of mine held this fall and the place is so nice, I had to post.  The winery is Philip Carter Winery, in Markham, Virginia, in a bit of a hollow on the east side of the Blue Ridge Mountains...beautiful piedmont country.

Philip Carter is a direct descendant of Robert "King" Carter, an impressive, colonial Virginia landholder.  Philip's ancestors at Cleve Hall, an old family property, were the first to create quality wines in Virginia.  Their wines won a gold medal from the London Society for the Encouragement of the Arts in 1762...the first recognized fine wines in America.

You can check out his winery at www.pcwinery.com.

Some of these views are from the winery cuploa...worth a trip to the winery just to take in the landscape!

George Washington Straight Rye Whiskey! This product is the precursor and pair to Martha Washington Rum. I was asked to design this package as they had no idea what type of package George had back in 1792, but we know h
e was the largest distiller in the Colonies, by far, at that time.

This being the first distilling of his whiskey since the 1700's, we had to come up with a design that would fit-hence this hand blown decanter, wooden stopper, with on glass etching and hand labeling.

George's original distillery has been rebuilt on the original Mount Vernon site and the whiskey remade via his original mash-bill, using a period copper pot still.

Many master distillers were involved in this project, from Ron Call at Cruzan Rum, to Bacardi, to Jim Beam, to...well, you name it, all coordinated by Joe Dangler, the master distiller at A. Smith Bowman. They make Virginia's premium red-rye bourbon, Virginia Gentleman.

The distillery was inaugurated with a celebration attended by Prince Andrew of Scotland, since George's whiskey maker was Scottish. Later, there was an auction at Mount Vernon...the first bottle sold for $100,000, to Marvin Shanken, the owner of the magazine Wine Spectator, after an evening of fireworks and a meal overlooking the Potomac.

Good going for George! His whiskey is now currently being remade for public consumption. I did some mini bottles of this product you can buy if you visit Mount Vernon now, and various forms of his recipe will be available in larger bottles in the new year.

Digital printing services for this product were provided by Labels Unlimited, U.S.A. of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Tele: (757) 340 8893.

Martha Washington Rum auction at Mount Vernon

Product Photo: Andrew Harnik, http://www.andrewharnik.com

This past fall, I attended an auction at Mount Vernon for the launching of the product I designed, Martha Washington Rum. A bottle of this rum went for 20,000 bucks, in auction! The beautiful evening at Mount Vernon started with private tours of the place, up to the usually closed off 3rd floor, hors d'oeuvres on the lawn, then, a short speech by the Deputy Minister from France.

After a moment of silence for fallen soldiers while looking at the evening over the Potomac, the Marine Corps Brass Band came in and played a number of martial tunes, and exactly when they stopped, (EXACTLY, the whole band is so disciplined, they were in complete synchronization...amazing) fireworks went off over the Potomac!

We ate via white glove service (the Wellington was excellent!) in a tent on the lawn which was tastefully interrupted by Senator Tom Harkin giving a small talk and an auction of the rum, featuring a re-enactor of George Washington on the dais. Senator John Warner of VA was also recognized, as well as a few others. Finally, coffee (espresso) and candied pears with chocolate for a spectacular finish.

Below are links to a few stories about the event.

Tom Harkin, Frank Keating Honored for Commitment to Spirituous Liquors, U.S. New & World Report

Martha Washington's rum fetches $20,000, Washington D.C. Examiner

Yaaarghh! A $20,000 bottle of rum, Baltimore Sun

Digital printing services for this product were provided by Labels Unlimited, U.S.A. of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Tele: (757) 340 8893.

Welcome to the A. Guy Studio Blog!

Allan Guy Design & Illustration (A. Guy Studio), of Old Town Manassas, Virginia, specializes in premium brand imagery for the quality goods markets. 

Currently focused on the growing Mid-Atlantic wine region, this blog is here to keep current all of the new things that are happening...new designs, new paintings, wine fests for my clients, new distillery projects from Virginia to Scotland!

Please read more about me and some of my clients in the "about me" section, so you can get a better idea of who I am and what I do best.

Enjoy and happy 2009-

Regards-

A. Guy, prop.