Project Info
This past spring, Windows Distillery in Sycamore, Illinois approached us with a unique request: design business cards that convey their brand identity for a product that was a year-out from its initial launch.
Windows Distillery is a distillery that focuses on blending and finishing spirits, including whiskey, gin, and vodka. Colleagues Chris Mayer and Mike Weckerly wanted a distinctive business card that would make a strong impact on clients, one that wouldn’t get lost in the plethora of cards that clients stash away in their wallets or bags.
Graphic Design of Business Cards
Both Chris and Mike wanted to pay homage to the industrial aesthetic of their company as well as the property’s storied past. Windows Distillery is located in BCM Industrial Park, the former Sycamore Industrial Park, originally home to Anaconda Wire and Cable Company’s Communications Cable Center, which was founded in 1890 and is deeply entwined in the city’s history. In keeping with the innovative and visionary spirit of Windows Distillery, our design team’s inspiration was sparked by the vintage windows of Anaconda’s former fabrication mill.
Windows
Including actual windows on the business card is a notable feature of the Windows Distillery business card. The company logo, six square window panes of equal size, is a powerful visual representation that captures the Windows Distillery brand identity, establishing its place in the industry. Initially, the windows on the card were going to be die-cut and left empty. In the end, we chose vellum to create “glass” windows that evoke the windows of the original brick factory structures. The result is a set of elegant yet industrial frosted panes that truly distinguish the business cards from any other.
Paper
The cards are printed on high-end, triple-layered coverstock paper to give them some weight, similar to a credit card rather than a traditional thinner paper used for business cards. We chose weighted paper because the card needed to be thick in order to contradict the vellum for the windows. Typically, coverstock has gloss or matte finish options. For this project, we went with a 32 pt. suede finish to heighten the elegance. This suede coating, similar to a velvet or soft touch finish, is matte with a smooth texture. When you hold the Windows Distillery business card in your hand, it feels like a luxury item.
Lettering
As light reflects off the card, the copper foil lettering produces an opulent shimmer. This foil lettering evokes the rich history of Windows Distillery’s location. Some of the principal products fabricated at Anaconda’s mill in Sycamore included copper rod as well as bare and tinned copper wire, cable, and copperweld conductors. These parts were produced on-site in the same facility that houses not only Windows Distillery but also another exciting future Windows Distillery project, the Copper Wire Event Space. In addition to paying tribute to the past, the lettering also references the copper barrels in which whiskey is distilled.
Not Just Business Cards
In a digital world where business cards simply aren’t used as often, the unparalleled Windows Distillery card is a combination of form and function. More than just a way to share our clients’ contact information, this business card is a piece of art that communicates the company’s brand identity, expressing the client’s visual aesthetic with a nod to its history.