By Liz Stevens, writer, PostPress
Cincoro is the tequila label created by five National Basketball Association team owners, and the Spanish word cincoro (cinco oro) translates to “five gold” – a tribute to the company’s owners and their premium tequila, a liquid gold. The five are Michael Jordan, NBA great and principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets; Jeanie Buss, controlling owner of the LA Lakers; Wes Edens, co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA franchise; and husband-and-wife Wyc Grousbeck and Emilia Fazzalari, owners of the Boston Celtics.
Cincoro produces a crystal-clear Blanco, a medium gold Reposado, an intense amber Añejo and a deep copper Extra Añejo. Extra Añejo is Cincoro’s top-tier offering – a rare tequila that is aged 40 to 44 months in Tennessee whiskey barrels and only produced in very limited quantities.
When Cincoro was ready to launch its Extra Añejo Tequila, the company wanted the packaging to reflect the refinement of the tequila itself and to be as much of a keepsake as the beautiful black and gold bottle that holds this connoisseur-worthy spirit. On Cincoro’s behalf, packaging and printing powerhouse Oliver, Inc. reached out to Taylor Box Company, Warren, Rhode Island, for a collaborative effort to design and deliver packaging that would wow the sports world’s most discerning influencers.
“The goal was to have the complete delivery of both the bottle and box be eye-catching and something that would be kept and displayed by the consumer,” explained Judith Sheehan, CDMP, marketing & communications at Taylor Box Company. “The design of the box and its embellishment play off of the five tequila leaves in the company’s logo, which represents the five founders.”
Taylor Box created a five-sided matte black box with a gold foil lining. The box opens via “double doors” with a magnetic closing that crisply snaps shut. A custom-designed acrylic stand within the box holds the neck of the bottle securely and provides optimal presentation upon opening. The box’s gold foil lining features an embossed step-and-repeat pattern of the five leaves in the company’s logo.
The box is constructed of ESKA board and wrapped in black Corvon Mano from Neenah, which is a very popular soft-touch material. Hazen’s Econo Red Gold foil in #221 Taffeta emboss from Semper Paper was used on the blackboard from Newman, which was foil stamped in General Roll Leaf’s B17-RFX. The acrylic neck stand for the bottle was created by Precision Laser and heat-bent by Schofield.
A five-sided belly band outer sleeve encases the box in the same rich matte black and features the hot foil-stamped Cincoro label along with the five-leaf logo in a raised spot UV step-and-repeat pattern. Oliver, Inc. supplied the outer sleeve.
Taylor Box used an SBL diecutter for the base and folder components and a Thompson diecutter for insert components. The company used a Kensol for foil stamping the exterior tray wrap, a Kluge for the lining (step and repeat), an Emmeci casemaker for tipping of the folder, and a groover for creating the center panels of the outside folder.
“This was not a shape that we had ever done prior to this project,” Sheehan said. “The unique shape of the tray – designed to match the shape of the tequila bottle – could not be made by machine, so it was engineered to be assembled by hand. To make the matching folder work, we did a combination of grooved board and loose panels.”
“From a foil-stamping and embossing perspective, this project ran smoothly, especially considering the complexity of the step and repeat pattern,” said Ron Pontbriant, master foil stamping and diecutting technician.
“Taylor was able to produce the box to the customer’s quality standards and ship on time for the product launch,” said Sheehan. “The quality exceeded expectations, resulting in a premium package and presentation that met the level of expectations from both the A-list creators of the label and its discerning consumers.”
“With foil stamping and embossing being one of the first stages of production,” said Pontbriant, “I receive all the materials for each project in flat sheet form.” When the foil stamping, embossing or diecutting is completed, a project moves on to the construction stage, and Pontbriant typically doesn’t see the assembled pieces. “Seeing this project in its final form – and how elegant a piece this was – provided a sense of pride and accomplishment to be part of it,” Pontbriant said. “It has been an honor to have my work be part of a project that has received so much recognition and so many awards.”
This elegant and beautiful project was the Gold Winner – Best Use of Foil/Embossing – Rigid Box (Best Engineered) in the FSEA 29th Annual Gold Leaf Awards (2022), and Rigid Box of the Year (2022) by the Paperboard Packaging Council.