mak chum
label + product design
creating a label for an alcoholic beverage dealing with two aspects of my identity
graphic design III, 2022
communication objectives
unify my Korean heritage with my passion to dance to curate a mascot for the brand of my chosen liquor, makgeolli—Korean rice wine
tools
illustrator, photoshop
process
using the phrase "mak chum" as the brand's name because the prefix "mak" is the same in "mak chum" and "makgeolli"
mak means something is crazy or unrefined. makgeolli is known as the "farmer's alcohol." thus, makgeolli can be dubbed as an alcoholic beverage for the "unrefined"
chum means dance, so in context, mak chum translates to dance without caring about looking sophisticated or cultured. in simpler words, mak chum can mean to "dance freely"
final designs
using my story as a Korean-American who entered a different career path than her relatives’ cultural norms and expectations, mak chum represents those who wish to remove themselves from the burden of fulfilling familial traditions, experience freedom, and express their passions
this sparkling rice wine’s fresh, sweet, light, and smooth taste ignites people to start dancing, empowering them to feel freedom through dance—wherever, whenever, and however
for my creative strategies, i wanted to illustrate the main ingredient—rice—and use a manufactured bottle with rifts and waves to resemble water help the buyers understand what is in the liquor. i also wanted to create a mascot wearing traditional Korean attire to be a small history lesson for the consumers, as makgeolli is Korea's oldest liquor. lastly, i wanted the mascot wear a small, yellow farmer’s hat as an ode to the hardworking and dedicated community that grow the ingredients to make this sweet, tangy drink
front label
back label + neck label
