No words were minced here: Werner Design Werks don’t hold back in their brand for Vodka Sucks Vodka

“The whole idea of Vodka Sucks Vodka is that, well, vodka sucks. At least that’s the position of our client, a whiskey distiller,” explains Sarah Forss, Senior Designer at Werner Design Werks. Their client, RockFilter Distillery, chose to introduce a vodka brand due to high demand in their cocktail room. More importantly, this decision aimed to generate quicker revenue, allowing their whiskey to barrel-age for an extended period. However, in their brief to the Minnesota-based design studio, it was crucial to maintain their original perception of vodka. “With this in mind,” Forss continues, “we designed a nothing label with no taste but plenty of attitude.”

For this brand, vodka isn’t given any kind of special treatment. Everything, including the Universal Product Code (UPC) and government warning, is displayed on the front label, while the label itself appears to be slapped on haphazardly. “There’s no false heritage, no traditional tropes, no pretentious claims of purity or great flavour. Just good vodka (if you think vodka is good),” adds Forss.

The studio utilised multiple weights of Dinamo’s sans serifs ABC ROM, ROM Condensed, and ROM Compressed. Their utilitarian nature, paired with distinctive flair, made them an ideal choice for the project. At the same time, inspired by commodity goods, they opted for scene-stealing vibrant neon yellow as the brand’s central colour. “Appropriate for the brand,” Forss adds, “this particular yellow has no subtlety or nuance, nothing but boldness.”

While the look and feel are certainly tongue-in-cheek, the comprehensive identity remains authentic at its core. “Getting the balance right for something that literally claims to suck while actually being a quality product was pretty challenging,” reflects Forss. “Although there’s humour in the brand, it’s not a novelty drink. It is a really good vodka…that happens to be made by people who prefer whiskey.”

Werner Design Werks

Vodka Sucks Vodka