Interview about Luna Alpina Packaging, winner of the A' Packaging Design Award 2025
Arman Auzhanov, designer from Kazakhstan, created a complete vodka project for premium sector. He used images of Moon and Space as a clear semantic code based on modern technology materials. The positioning is based by two USP: emotional (vodka is produced in accordance with the phases of the Moon) and rational (it is cleaned using Moonstone filtration). The personal shaped bottle has debossing as lunar craters. For the label he used material with microcrystals making the dynamic image of the starry sky, and Lens Fresnel for the image of the Moon. Futuristic gift packaging completes the image.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsFresnel lenses turned out to be a very suitable technology. I was looking for a way to emphasize the visual element of the Moon - it is one of the main elements of the composition, and it is the idea of the product itself. I needed something that would highlight it even among the contrasting environment. And the volumetric effect created by the Fresnel lens was ideal. The Moon is multifaceted, we always see only one of its many parts - this is shown in the ornament at the bottom part. But the central element creates a complete and at the same time constantly changing image of the Moon: it shimmers, depending on the angle of the viewer's gaze.
Balance is important in any project, because a person has two hemispheres in his head, and one is responsible for rationality and the other for emotions. Therefore, this approach is most justified in a highly competitive environment.
I like innovations because they allow the project to stand out from the environment. And since I keep my finger on the pulse of the latest technologies, I immediately realized that this material is ideally suited to the concept of a twinkling starry sky. Of course, this material is difficult to process, but the effect is worth it.
Glass is generally a fertile material for such cases. Given my extensive experience in bottle shaping, it wasn't difficult to create a spectacular moon crater-shaped emboss on the shoulders of the bottle. And the glass looks premium in the reflections from the dents, besides, it creates a pleasant tactile effect.
An important part of communicating with the Generation Y audience is storytelling. Millennials respect a product that has its own story, which can be read like a fascinating book. It is not enough to simply draw a beautiful Moon - you need to tell what it means, what history is behind it, and what it can teach us. It is difficult, but it allows us to personally address the viewer.
Colors are not the only important thing in the visual design of a product. Take the concept of contrast, for example. Using opposite shades of the color wheel almost always creates a highly legible style. But the same goes for texture. The tactile experience is as important as the visual one, and the combination of contrasting texture elements feels modern and attractive. In my case, silver and black - the well-known "space" combination - is complemented by matte plastic and shiny metal. Just like in the recognizable futuristic spacesuits and spaceship designs.
These details can come as a surprise if you don't know about them beforehand, even though they are hidden in plain sight. A person who discovers them will feel like a pioneer. They found it themselves, and now they know something that others don't. Just like humanity exploring space, ready for any wonders, but not expecting them right around the corner.
Such complex projects require a sufficient amount of time to implement. My studio is currently located in Minsk, but I myself come from Kazakhstan, so the project started in one country, but the implementation and the final image were completed in another.
The Moon plays an important role in Kazakh culture. Its phases are associated with a person's life path, the crescent is considered a symbol of the connection between people and the spirit world. For Kazakhs, the image of the Moon is familiar and recognizable. But the moon is also universal. I think it means something important to any culture in the world. That is why it is a wonderful symbol for representing Kazakhstan in the world.
I am very proud to have received such an award as the Silver A' Design Award and I hope that for the elite alcoholic beverages for which I create packaging design, this will be an additional argument in favor of cooperation with me.
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