Every year, we gift our top customers with a bottle of Top Dog—a vintage made just for them, much like our specialty printing jobs. Of course, we like to do something special for the packaging—it’s our thing, after all.
Product: Custom packaging design for Top Dog 2015 wine
Print Specifications: UV digital print with custom artwork featuring Norwood branding
Design Elements: Top Dog label artwork depicting the metaphorical retirement of Andrew Eason
The 2015 edition tells the story of Andrew and Stuart Eason, the owners of Norwood, and knowing when to leave the party. The year’s Top Dog label artwork was inspired by the ongoing question of Andrew’s retirement plans (which was a bit like when John Farnham kept retiring).
In 2010, Andrew took his first step toward retirement with a four-day workweek. This eventually led to his full retirement in June 2014—or so it was thought. To everyone’s surprise, Andrew continued to turn up to work. That was until April 2015, when, upon discovering that his wine buddies were having too much fun without him, he disappeared on a vineyard pilgrimage.
We thought it was about time. Until… sure enough, not long afterward, he was back at work again. Stuart decided it was time for some metaphorical action via Top Dog.
This year’s wine takes a playful approach, illustrating Little Dog (Stuart) taking Big Dog (Andrew) for one last ride in the Norwood plane.
But it wasn’t just the artwork that made this year’s Top Dog special. To test the durability of the packaging, the Norwood team decided to take things to the extreme—literally. Partnering with Australian Skydive, the team devised a plan to drop the Top Dog 2015 packaging from a plane at 15,000 feet, reaching terminal velocity at 200km/h. The packaging was rigorously tested in this high-stakes scenario, and, to everyone’s relief, it held up perfectly, proving that Norwood’s packaging is designed to endure even the most extreme conditions.
To drop something from a plane, you need a few things: a permit, an ex-military guy to take you skydiving, and your trusty photographer, Tom. Tom, ever the sport, joined the skydivers to capture the action from above—his assignment involved throwing the packaging, and himself, out of a plane. While the pack survived the fall, Tom now jokes that Norwood’s photography assignments should be renamed, “another way we can try to kill Tom.”
Looking for packaging that stands up to the ultimate test? We specialise in custom-designed packaging that doesn’t just look great—it performs. We go above and beyond to ensure your products make a lasting impression. At Norwood, we bring bold concepts to life.
Want to find out more?
CALL +613 8796 9300 | EMAIL customercare@norwood.com.au
