Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
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bodger
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Designing labels.Did anyone see the programme on BBC 1 last night which basically told us what we all know already and thats, that the UK public are being conned about what they eat?
Anyway, I digress. As an exercise they produced a horrible mushy pie with the most awful ingredients and then proceded to market it within the limits of UK law in a manner which suggested that it wasn't how I've just described.
One of the first things that they did, was to come up with a brand name and a superb label to support it. Laburnham Cottage Pies with a picture of an old and extremley picturesque cottage. I'm not kidding you, you and I would have bought it on the strength of the packaging alone, in the belief that we were buying good old fashioned British cuisine. It would only have been later after much delving that we'd be shocked to find that the ingredients actually came from dubious sources from all over the globe.
It showed how important presentation is and that even a good product needs a good label if its to sell.
Well, I'm not out to con anyone  but I could do with some help in coming up with an attractive design to help promote the pure apple juice that I'll be producing this autumn.
As I see it, the label will need to purvey how pure the product is, what it contains, the fact that its going to be produced from apples grown only on the Llyn peninsula, the variety of apple and to generally purvey the good old countryside feeling of goodness that you only get with hand crafted ciders and apple juices. Very much like the Laburnham Cottage Pies but honestly portrayed.
A lot of the apples will actually be coming from friends gardens and holdings, so I thought that it might be a good ploy to actually engage the customer by mentioning this. eg
"Apples from Mrs Jones Garden, Ty Mawr"
What do you think ? I've quite naturally shyed away from calling it 'Bodger Juice'  Any ideas will be very much appreciated.
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Nick
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Bodger juice is a bad name. Good call! 
Does the area lend itself to a nice map of the peninsula, perhaps, as a backdrop/watermark type backing to the label? I have a picture in my mind, I'll see if I can find anything on google to illustrate it better.
A local juice to here sells several varieties, and lists the apple type on each bottle. They also list their other ones on the back, possibly with brief tasting notes (Old Scruttock - Apple famous for it's face curdling sharpness. Not one for the kids!), so you want to try the others.
I like the idea of the provenance you suggest. I'm seeing more and more eggs and meat in the supermarkets 'from Bill's family farm in Norfolk', kind of thing, and whilst I'm suspicious and cynical, it looks better than the unbranded versions.
I'm no artist, so can't actually design any images, or whatever, but you're right, you want the best label.
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Nick
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Hmm. Perhaps not. That, with Fresh Juice emblazoned across it might not work.
These tell me it's fresh, local and not industrial.
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bodger
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Provenance is a good idea. I've seen some brilliant labelling in butchery departments. A picture of the breed, sometimes a potted history extolling its merits and the name of the producing farm. I think it will transfer to apples quite well.
I've seen some cracking labels on crafted apple juice bottles over the last few years but have also seen some poor ones. Its very important to get a ggod one for your product
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yummersetter
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is the use of traditional local varieties/techniques a selling point? If so are there any Victorian books with illustrations of apples/cidermaking in your area in your reference library that you could recycle?
Or get illustrations specially done for you, so that you have something unique, not downloaded off Google Freepix or whatever.
If it's really important to look non-homemade, I'd think about doing it properly and employing a designer, after all it'll be a tax-deductable expense if you're doing this as a business.
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bodger
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Point taken. I was thinking of a label that possibly had a blank space that could be filled in with decent caligraphy to show the variety.
Unfortunately, in recent years our area has become synonomous with the Bardsey apple and i'm afraid its not got an awful lot going for it. Infact, its pretty awful all round. 
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Helen_A
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What about the geek-appeal (oo - that could be a bad pun, sorry!) of a grid ref for where the apples came from?
Helen_A
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