labels Sam & Oliver Sparks, Flare & Burst (dry spice labels)

So here's a preliminary concept of 3 dry spices, I thought to take a slight risk with the colors to keep the dry spice lines separate from the wet sauce lines (as will be the two BBQ sauce lines):
 
Sparks is an adobo seasoning is a dry spice blend of salt, onion, garlic, cumin, chipotle and other delicious things.  It smells divine and can be used on anything from vegetables, potatoes and steak to pizza, fries, sandwiches and more.
 
Flare is a mango-chipotle dry spice that has a great nose and adds some mellow sweetness to things like mashed potatoes, roasted butternut squash and even right on pork chops, etc.  Definite sweetness with a warm chipotle end note.
 
Burst heavily focuses on cracked 'gourmet grind' black pepper as it's primary nose and body.  I didn't go with butcher grind because it was too coarse.  Red pepper, Cayenne and other spices round this out, very close to concept of a steak or chicken grilling seasoning blend but with NO salt.  I know people argue whether to put salt on before or after grilling a steak, and I decided to err on the side of a) healthy and b) you can always add salt later which is c) another future line coming (smoked sea salt).  Salt can always be added later but not easily removed.
 
Here's the concept work (note, most fields are simply borrowed from the Cinder / Stoke line, but the label is not the same size as a woozy, this is 3x6" instead of 3.25 x 5.5".  Because of this, the center panel needed to be 1/2" wider so it didn't appear "boxed" by a white bar on each side when viewed.
 
Also to note: these are printed in 2 color in an effort to reduce cost of reproduction.  A 3rd color could be added but will require an extra plate and higher per-label costs.
 
Sparks1.png

 
Flare1.png

 
Burst1.png

 
Example1.png

 
Thoughts?  Too wacky with the colors?  To hard to read the colors?
 
Yep.

Recently a hot sauce from Quebec with a dog on the label was using #foodsbestfriend on twitter.

I happen to own that TM. And I also happen to have a hot sauce and it happens to have a dog on the label. And since I also use that hashtag on twitter, well, not good.

I did not send a "cease & desist" letter.

I instead sent him a message through FB, complimented him on his label (it is a nice label) and let him know that I had the TM. I asked that he not use it to avoid confusing customers who might think our brands were the same.

He very politely wrote back and apologized for the infringement. we subsequently chatted about the sauce business & sent each other friend requests.

Just sayin - while I am big on protecting one's IP, there are alternative ways of settling such things than creating webpages to shame people. ;)
 
Oh I am also for protecting TMs of course!
His page is full of frivolous ones.
 
Smokey Chipotle Salsa
 
And he is shaming KFC for:
 
KFC/Kentucky Fried Chicken is the Largest Fast Food Chicken Restaurant Chain in the World (14,000+ worldwide units/5,300 KFC units in the United States)
Other Yum! Brand Companies: Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s and A&W Foods
KFC SMOKY CHIPOTLE CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN
 

RIBA FOODS, Inc.- Continues to Steal Property & Copycat Products
P.O. Box 630461
Houston, Texas  77263
Miguel Barrios, Jr., President
Company:  American Food Manufacturer
Product: ARRIBA! SMOKED CHIPOTLE BEAN DIP


 
^
 
That right there is downright ridiculous!
:rofl:
 
He is after "smoked chipotle" as well!!!!!
 
 
 
agree with the whole smokey chipotle nonsense....what a tool!  That whole "smokey" horse done left the barn a long time ago.
 
 
Anyway, back to S & O~
I like Embers for the seasoning and keeping the design like the other S&O labels.  Keeps it in the "family" and recognizable. 
 
I've made a Wildfire hot sauce since 2002, Red Hawk Peppers sells a Wild Fire hot sauce....I've never even mentioned to him as I don't have an issue with it.  Wildfire Chillis in Australia has a Hot Embers dry chile blend. 
Volcanic Peppers has a whole line of LAVA products from sauces to spices.
Like Boss said, there's lots of sauces and products that share the same name or similar versions. 
 
 
For the actual label layout, I'm not digging the off-center Seasoning.  I think it should be centered, either under EMBERS or under the flavor.  Whatever you use for graphics will give it some non-linear comnponents. 
 
Alternate suggestion: 
 
 
SEASONING (across top of label, above the pugs)
 
[pug image]
 
EMBER
 
-------------------------------------------
 
Whether top of bottom, you could use this on all 3 seasonings.
 
Personally I like Embers plural. It's one of the things I liked because it is conversational.

I can't hear it now... "I really like the Chipotle Mango Embers..."

I like that is conjurs up individual embers, the spices. If you call it Ember it is not as conversational. They could say Chipolte Mango Ember Seasoning but if you call it Embers, it covers both. The Embers are the seasoning. There are Embers in that jar. I like that idea and it sounds cool.
 
Ember to me doesn't say that. Ember Seasoning is telling me it is hot.
 

 
 
Yeah that!
 
Haha!

To be clear I am not saying drop the word Seasoning from the front. I am saying, in conversation, with Embers, you are able to and it sounds cool.
 
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce said:
I agree "embers" sounds closer to what the product is, since you're sprinkling grains & particulates onto your food.

"Ember". sounds like you're going to drop a hot chunk of wood onto your plate
 
Don't give dunkin' donuts any more ideas ;)  I wouldn't be surprised at one point that someone simply offers to press a branding iron into your tongue for you.
 
Anyway, here are some updated revisions, I'll mess around a bit more...
 
embers-mango1.png

 
embers-3pepper.png

 
embers-adobo1.png
 
YEA!  I like it! 
 
I'm sure you realize it's not 5 oz/148ml......depending on the size of the bottle, my SW Spice mix runs 4 oz and 113 GRAMS.
 
yes, it's in the notes, just something "to do" - I've added that to the update notes and it should be fixed next revision.  I also don't have the actual true weight until the products are officially measured.
 
should it be wilty?  Also, before we even go there, is the color ok?  I got rid of the purple and went with a pink/orange for mango, the adobo is a dry brown ( I didn't use turmeric so there's no yellow in it), and the pepper one is well, you can see it.
 
Is the background too loud?  Should I use grey with dithered colored dots instead?
 
On a side note (recipe note) I know you said the rub is salt free... is it sugar free too? Salt and sugar play a role in rubs, salt especially, so just wondering. If it is just three peppers and nothing else, I'm not sure I'd call it a rub.
 
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