Big G's BBQ Sauce | Custom Illustration & Label Design
CUSTOM ILLUSTRATION · PACKAGING DESIGN · PRINT DESIGN & PRODUCTION
The Challenge
Redesign the packaging labels for Big G's BBQ Sauce, a small, independently developed barbecue sauce brand. Building upon an earlier concept provided by the client, the goal was to create a more polished, cohesive design that prominently featured the brand name and a vintage-inspired pinup character.
The project also presented a unique production challenge: the unconventional bottle shape required custom label dimensions and a specially contoured neck label to ensure the finished artwork would fit correctly.
The Approach
Created an original, retro-inspired pinup illustration featuring expressive linework, playful details, and a distinctive black-and-white aesthetic. Developed both a full-body character and a complementary framed portrait, allowing the illustration to be adapted across different packaging applications.
Incorporated the character into a redesigned label system featuring a dark color palette, warm gold accents, decorative typography, and vintage-inspired detailing. The updated composition emphasized the brand name while maintaining visual consistency between the front, back, and bottle neck labels.
To accommodate the bottle's unusual contours, developed custom die-cut label shapes rather than relying on standard rectangular templates, balancing creative design with practical print production requirements.
Deliverables
-
Custom Pinup Illustration: Original full-body character artwork and coordinating framed portrait
-
Front Product Label: Redesigned label featuring custom illustration, brand typography, and decorative elements
-
Back Product Label: Coordinated design incorporating the brand story and supplied product information
-
Custom Bottle Neck Labels: Two design variations developed with contoured dielines to accommodate the bottle shape
-
Print Production: Custom label dimensions, dieline development, and production artwork
Project imagery features digital product mockups created to represent the proposed finished packaging.
