Maniac Studio embody the mystical legacy of mezcal in Ancestro’s timeless, restrained identity

Tapping into mezcal’s vast, often-folkloric cultural history for industry newcomer Ancestro, Mexican creative agency Maniac Studio have struck a fine balance between the liquor’s mystical legacy, the heritage it carries and the quality of the product itself.

The success of Ancestro’s brand is in the confidence of its visual language, with the studio opting for simplicity over convolution; resulting in a timeless, empowered aesthetic. Whether it’s the bespoke six-headed rabbit symbol drawn in reference to the mezcal legend of ‘Centzon Totochtin,’ or its distinct typographic structure, the application and tone of the identity are earnest, authentic and proud of the tradition behind it all. 

A similarly striking reservation is upheld in Maniac’s choices of Consort and Coign as the brand’s typeface pairing. “We selected Consort to have this kind of timeless and strong personality,” Creative Director Andrés Domínguez tells us, discussing the specific typefaces choices, having also favoured Consort for its neutrality. “It is a typeface that feels classic but not old,” he adds, noting their reference to Mexican Revolution advertising and document headers as typographic inspiration. “We selected Coign just to have contrast in the label design,” Domínguez remarks, “we don’t consider it that relevant or indispensable for the branding.”

Standing out from the typically eccentric aesthetic of the mezcal industry, the candour, clarity and character of Ancestro mark the brand as a true standout on the shelf – a feat accomplished in part by the choice of colours, including green, terracotta and black. “We chose green because of agave and Mexico’s flag,” Domínguez explains, “whilst terracotta represents the ‘tierra roja’ characteristic of Mexican soil,” he adds, which is where agave is planted. “The Mezcal market right now has a lot of pretentiousness, and Ancestro’s intention is to move away from that,” Domínguez concludes. “We wanted a simple, minimal and pure brand.”

Maniac Studio