labels Relaxin' Jack Labels Sneak Peek

I passed my inspection and am awaiting final review of my paperwork for my food manufacturer's licence.  Once I get the thumbs up we start production!!!  Take a look at the labels for 2 of the 3 products we are launching with.  The 3rd product is my bbq rub that is paired with the sauce.
 
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GeminiCrow said:
I like em...
Clean looking...
 
Only issue I have is that I would rotate the ingredients list....
everything else is laid out vertically....it'd annoy me to turn the bottle to read the ingredients....just my 2 cents.
 
Thanks Gemini.  I have my guy tweaking the orientation of the ingredients and making an edit to the manufacturers's info.  Glad I posted these before they went to the printer.
 
Will there be a romance panel?  Maybe a description of how the sauce tastes and what it would go good with? The nutrition facts is pretty large and is taking up valuable real estate.  I don't think many look at it, especially for sauces since they are usually all zeros anyway.  You may want to make the website URL a little larger and more readable as well. I really like the logo w/ the hammock. Good idea and fits the name well.
 
PepperDaddy said:
Will there be a romance panel?  Maybe a description of how the sauce tastes and what it would go good with? The nutrition facts is pretty large and is taking up valuable real estate.  I don't think many look at it, especially for sauces since they are usually all zeros anyway.  You may want to make the website URL a little larger and more readable as well. I really like the logo w/ the hammock. Good idea and fits the name well.
 
Thanks PepperDaddy.  We had a romance panel on both labels until we realized we needed to break out the contents of ketchup and other ingredients.  The ingredient lists grew and we lost the romance.  lol.  
 
Thanks on the logo.  Good catch on the hammock.  I was worried people wouldn't make the connection.  :)
 
My feedback:  I agree on the romance - you're not woo'ing me anywhere. I want to be woo'd. As a consumer I need to be woo'd. Tell me what it's good on, what it pairs with, about your mission statement, anything. 
 
I need more than "just the facts, ma'am" of ingredients, nutrition & barcode. 
 
The "made by" could possibly be smaller? The barcode looks ginormous, so I'm pretty sure you can shrink that. Nutritional panel looks kinda big as well.
 
That whole parenthetical thing in your ingredients - did your PA say you had to do that? 
 
I'm thinking you can shorten those things up and maybe reduce the font to the bare minimum allowed - and gain room for a romance panel. 
 
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce said:
My feedback:  I agree on the romance - you're not woo'ing me anywhere. I want to be woo'd. As a consumer I need to be woo'd. Tell me what it's good on, what it pairs with, about your mission statement, anything. 
 
I need more than "just the facts, ma'am" of ingredients, nutrition & barcode. 
 
The "made by" could possibly be smaller? The barcode looks ginormous, so I'm pretty sure you can shrink that. Nutritional panel looks kinda big as well.
 
That whole parenthetical thing in your ingredients - did your PA say you had to do that? 
 
I'm thinking you can shorten those things up and maybe reduce the font to the bare minimum allowed - and gain room for a romance panel.
Thanks lucky. Version 2.0 of the label will have a romance panel. The original design on the hab sauce at a post card from a tropical local with a romance blurb.
 
Question: 
 
what's copyrighted on your labels? 
 
You have "made by", copyright, and website in 3 different spots. Suggestion: lose the (C) if you don't need it. Nothing is protected on that label other than the artwork if it's original. And if it's original you don't need to display the (C) as original art is inherently copyrighted (I'm pretty sure)
 
If Relaxin' Jack is trademarked, that's another thing - display the little "TM" as is your right. But otherwise you're just taking up real estate. 
 
And you can wedge the website below the "Made by" block. (where the copyright symbol is in the 1st label) 
 
That would be less cluttery looking IMO. 
:cheers:
 
Overall impressions: 
 
1. First label - BBQ sauce. It's catchy - compelling. I like the flaming grill. It's an appealing label.
2. Habanero sauce. Beach, peppers, garlic - not feeling this label. I'm not sure what the beach has to do with anything. Is the sauce for seafood? I get that "restaurant with a life-preserver on the wall" vibe from it. Why is "heat" a totally different font than the "Habanero"? Is Habanero the branding and Heat the flavor? It just doesn't make sense to me. And 2 exclamation points? Kinda odd looking to me there too. I'm really just not feeling this label as I don't get it. Is it a tropical sauce? If so, the beach doesn't do as good a job at conveying it. If you had a name like "Island Fire!" or "Maui Madness!" or "Jamaican Jackass!" or whatever the beach makes sense.  At 3rd or 4th glance and after considering it I'm thinking there's a mango, so mango+beach = tropics = island?   I dunno - takes a lot of thought to get to that and consumers have a pretty short attention span. 
3. Overall I like your branding with the hammock-style name - that's sharp.  
4. I'd move the website off of the hab in the 2nd label. It's very distracting - it detracts from the habanero (which is the real message of the front panel - "this sauce has habanero in it" and it just looks out of place. It's tiny font and black against the bright orange hab. Like the 1st label, if you put this under your company address it's much cleaner looking. 
 
My $0.02. 
:cheers:
 
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce said:
Question: 
 
what's copyrighted on your labels? 
 
You have "made by", copyright, and website in 3 different spots. Suggestion: lose the (C) if you don't need it. Nothing is protected on that label other than the artwork if it's original. And if it's original you don't need to display the (C) as original art is inherently copyrighted (I'm pretty sure)
 
If Relaxin' Jack is trademarked, that's another thing - display the little "TM" as is your right. But otherwise you're just taking up real estate. 
 
And you can wedge the website below the "Made by" block. (where the copyright symbol is in the 1st label) 
 
That would be less cluttery looking IMO. 
:cheers:
 
Overall impressions: 
 
1. First label - BBQ sauce. It's catchy - compelling. I like the flaming grill. It's an appealing label.
2. Habanero sauce. Beach, peppers, garlic - not feeling this label. I'm not sure what the beach has to do with anything. Is the sauce for seafood? I get that "restaurant with a life-preserver on the wall" vibe from it. Why is "heat" a totally different font than the "Habanero"? Is Habanero the branding and Heat the flavor? It just doesn't make sense to me. And 2 exclamation points? Kinda odd looking to me there too. I'm really just not feeling this label as I don't get it. Is it a tropical sauce? If so, the beach doesn't do as good a job at conveying it. If you had a name like "Island Fire!" or "Maui Madness!" or "Jamaican Jackass!" or whatever the beach makes sense.  At 3rd or 4th glance and after considering it I'm thinking there's a mango, so mango+beach = tropics = island?   I dunno - takes a lot of thought to get to that and consumers have a pretty short attention span. 
3. Overall I like your branding with the hammock-style name - that's sharp.  
4. I'd move the website off of the hab in the 2nd label. It's very distracting - it detracts from the habanero (which is the real message of the front panel - "this sauce has habanero in it" and it just looks out of place. It's tiny font and black against the bright orange hab. Like the 1st label, if you put this under your company address it's much cleaner looking. 
 
My $0.02. 
:cheers:
 
Very much appreciated.  The initial marketing pitch was that Relaxin' Jack was going to help the consumer experience different flavor from your backyard to around the world.  Backyard BBQ is one of the relaxing backyard experiences.  Habanero Heat was originally called Tropical Habanero Heat.  The hab sauce also had a romance panel designed around a postcard with a product desc. and what it goes good on.  The hab sauce was an example of relaxing on a tropical vacation.  
 
I appreciate the critique.  This business is going to be a marathon and not a sprint.  I take all of the great feedback from all of you pepper peeps to heart.  Keep it coming.
 
Pet peeve!
 
It's not haban YERO...
 
Habanero
Habañero
 
I don't think you need double exclamation points either. !!
 
I don't particularly like that grill with the high flames and no grate. That's what a grill looks like when you first light it, and this evokes a distinct aroma of lighter fluid to me, lol. I'd rather see a smoker and some silky blue smoke rising. That would fit "Relaxin'" to me. I love the chalkboard, reminds me of BBQ restaurants. Also I think the scene would look cool in sepia tone. The fall leaves make it look seasonal. Nit pick!
 
Per trademarks, if it's registered put the (r). The (tm) is for non-registered.
 
Lookin' good man!
 
Glowing coals and a grate on it, smoke rising... would look better imo. And nit pick, there's a white dot on the right of the grill the artist can remove ,lol.
 
Do you need social media icons? You can't click, they don't have the address, and most people assume you're on there. How about some chalk icons of what it is good on. A chicken. A cow. A pig. Fits what you've got going on there on the chalkboard with the Pro Tip pairing.
 
The rest is lookin' good me.
 
I love the nit picks!  The original labels were more ambitious.  I think we got nervous when we started to lose real estate for nutrition panel, ingredients and then we went overboard making space.  Now that I know I can shrink down the nut. panel and ingredients etc we can create the space we need to make these labels more visually appealing and informational.
 
Good thing.  I was able to get the vendor to print off a small number of labels for the first go 'round.  I am figuring most of these labels are going to go out on bottles to family and friends.  
 
PS - I did make the edits to meet the FDA regs before these went to print. :)
 
By the way I love sub-level ingredient lists, it lets me know things like if there is HFCS in the ketchup, or preservatives in the soy sauce, etc. An all-natural mango pulp would be ideal in your sauce, if you can... later on.
 
Please, please for the love of God put a heat level on your hot sauce labels. I cant tell you how many times i've picked up hot sauces because the names or label gives me impression of a "blistering hot" sauce. I get it home and try it and its heat level is that of tomato sauce.
 
just sayin
 
Also as a consumer, if i picked this up and didnt see a heat level, i immediatly go to ingrediants list, on yours you say "Orange Habanero Pepper" singular not plural? same with fresno pepper? I would interpret as not very hot. should it say peppers? does it matter? 
 
I like the chalkboard "pro tip" you added on the BBQ sauce and I agree on the relaxin jack hammock...nice touch.
 
quick thoughts-
Like the Look!  
 
are either of these "refrigerate after opening"?  If you haven't had a test done by your PA to see if they can be left unrefrigerated after opening, I think you will need that.
 
YES for a temp scale somewhere!
 
the bar codes can be waaaaaaay smaller.
 
I'd not put social media icons on the label.  What happens if Twitter folds and you have 9K more labels to use up and it takes you a couple years?  By that time, people will see the birdie and go.."WOW, tweets have been gone for 3 years!  I'm not buying 3 year old sauce!"  not realizing that the sauce is fresh, only the labels are old....
 
Your address doesn't have to be written in 3 lines.  You can write it linear with commas separating.  If people want to contact you, they will look for a website (most customers nowadays expect a website) so you can put the www. there with the rest of the contact info.  My inspector requires a phone number also, as well as both the mailing and physical addy. :rolleyes: Mine usually ends up looking something like this-
 
  www.texascreekproducts.com  Naturally Terrific!
Texas Creek Products, PO Box116/33 Old Carlton Rd
          Carlton, WA 98814   509-997-5420  
 
I like the "relaxin is a way of life".  If it's to be your motto, it should be on all the labels.
 
I got the hammock thing~
 
Also picked up on the habanYERo...and agree that the flaming briquets isn't a cooking fire yet.  Good comments from the Boss on that.
 
The subingredients have to be called out but they can be in a smaller font.  Anchovies in the Worchestershitshire sauce will require an Allergen alert "Contains-Fish"
 
You can combine the chiles to say- Habanero and Fresno chiles
I've never called out the vinegar like you have.  it's taking up a lot of real estate.  I'd not call it out, send a proof to your inspector and let them tell you to call it out.
 
Good Luck and Have Fun!
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Per trademarks, if it's registered put the (r). The (tm) is for non-registered.
 
great catch on the habanero - I missed that totally. Spot on. Spanish speaking people would be all over that like, uh, spanish on rice? lol
 
As for the trademark, I looked at my gob'ment docs, and hot damn you're right. My bad. 
 
But the point remains. Using the (C) or even the (TM) or (R) seems pointless. I don't have it on my labels - my name and my slogan are both (R) and anyone who wants to try to get those trademarks will look them up at uspto.gov and find out. 
 
I think it's takes up space better used for the website. 
:cheers: 
On a totally unrelated note, I think it's super cool that you can type any of ( r ), ( c ) or ( tm ) and the website formats it for me. Neato! (!)

beerbreath81 said:
Please, please for the love of God put a heat level on your hot sauce labels. I cant tell you how many times i've picked up hot sauces because the names or label gives me impression of a "blistering hot" sauce. I get it home and try it and its heat level is that of tomato sauce
 
Another great catch - this is usually one I catch as it's also my biggest pet peeve. Definitely need some sort of heat indicator. 
salsalady said:
I'd not put social media icons on the label.  What happens if Twitter folds and you have 9K more labels to use up and it takes you a couple years?  By that time, people will see the birdie and go.."WOW, tweets have been gone for 3 years!  I'm not buying 3 year old sauce!"  not realizing that the sauce is fresh, only the labels are old....
 
Also solid - this was *exactly* my mindset when I made my labels. I initially had the social media stuff on the label and scrapped it for that precise reason. 
 
Re: heat indicator.....Make it relevant for GenPop.....or GenPub........(general public).
 
 
I tell customers at a FM that my Medium Salsa is 3-4 out of 10.  For chileheads, it's about  1.5.  But I'm not selling to the extreme chileheads that hang out here on THP.  I'm selling to people who think Jalapenyos are hot,. 
 
salsalady said:
Re: heat indicator.....Make it relevant for GenPop.....or GenPub........(general public).
 
You're just going to piss of passionate chiliheads with a misleading scale. At this stage of the game you'll be sending to reviewers that are chiliheads, friends that are chiliheads, etc. The scale should be realistic. MORE PEOPLE in the mainstream are chiliheads these days than you think. If the sauce says it's a 10 on the heat scale, it better be a freakin' 10, and not a 3 because some newb thinks a jalapeno is scorching hot. Remember, the ghost pepper and eating challenges are mainstream. Better to be realistic and NOT piss off those passionate about sauce by dumbing it down. Like craft ales, you have a target audience. Don't mess with them to please the whole world. If you have a medium sauce and it says it's a 5, and it's too hot for them, then they just won't buy it again. But if you said it was a 10, they probably wouldn't have bought it in the first place, and you would just be pissing off the chiliheads.
 
This is the one big thing that reviewers will dog.
 
Those that buy specialty sauce usually know what they're getting into. Even if they are not diehard chiliheads like us here. Stop trying to please the old lady that saw Frank's was out of stock, lol.
 
2c.
 
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