The expression “don’t judge a book by its cover” does not apply when choosing a brand of wine.  Consumers are quick to judge a bottle of wine by the brand name that supplies it, where is comes from (local or imported) and the year that it was bottled.  Through primary research such as going to various bottle stores and viewing the wine displays, it is easy to understand which are the good bottles of wine and which will probably taste like vinegar.  When standing in the wine isle you are surrounded by a hoard of bottles all telling you to buy their brand.  The more expensive bottles will be displayed right at the top to show off their “top shelf” exclusiveness and the lesser expensive bottles will be displayed at the bottom to show that they are the bottom of the range. To any non-wine drinker all these bottles mean the same and the only difference to them may be one is red and one is white. Through this insight, I decided to create a range of bottles that would look appealing and stand out on the shelf. They would be appealing to both wine and non-wine drinkers just by their look and relatable content.

In deciding on a suitable subculture, I wanted to choose one that was truly South African and would appeal to all who pass it by in the isle. The subculture I chose was Zef. Zef is a relatively new and better-known subculture thanks to it becoming a household name after popular rap group, Die Antwoord. Jack Parow followed them using the same style and together they are the essence of what Zef is about. Turning it around from a derogatory term, to a style. I believe that this subculture is something truly South African because it plays on events from our countries past. It is a sub-culture that many will understand and find relatable. Zef is a culture that doesn’t care for the conventional rules and in my designs I will translate their attitude, style and slang into a range of craft wine that will stand out on the shelf.