Discussion 2: Grocery Store Typography
Let’s start with the bottle of Mexican Cola and its choice of font; it’s very indicative of the place it’s taking its inspiration from. Its slightly dehydrated color choices to the playful symbolism running along the top, it all ties it together and draws your eyes to its simplistic logo. With a faint blue outline right below it, it also ties itself back to its banner. Right below it of course, it, is a reminder that Mexican Agave has been added to really seal that authenticity. Which is funny, because its manufactured right next to the Canadian Border, in Washington. Possibly the furthest point from Mexico. Without reading the cap, it does a fantastic job of fooling you into it believing its actually Mexican Cola. Of course it’s as fake as its logo, a perfect example of typography and design being used to fool customers.
Next up is Route 66 Soda. Not a lot to really dissect but a lot to talk about. To be blunt, it’s a US highway logo with “Sodas” tacked onto the bottom. That’s really it for the main logo. Let me ask you this, why do people buy THIS grape soda in particular? The reason why they would retain such a logo is simple, people like the design of highway signs. I’m a car guy, I’m sure there are others out there, and I can say this bottle will look nice on my garage shelf for the rest of my life. Designs like this, while not pushing the envelope when it comes to typographical (and graphic in general) uniqueness, stand on their own with an allure that comes from certain crowds. Much the same way students might steal road signs off streets after a hurricane, we as people appreciate things we see every day, and is why I think Route 66 does a fantastic job marketing itself.
In stark contrast to the previous two, Olde Brooklyn takes a completely different approach. The old-fashioned font mixed with the hand drawn feel of the logo makes it feel closer to a wine than a soda, which would make sense considering it’s a black cherry flavor. To be short and simple, Olde Brooklyn shoots for a homier look because it is a homier soda. It’s authentic in its claim for being made in Brooklyn, its ingredients are natural in comparison to most soda out there, and its font helps sell that. It feels like something you’d find in the 1800s on a local bar stand, brought to life in the modern era.
