Origin Story: Using illustration to convey product provenance

 When it comes to consumer perception, there is a strong association between provenance and quality. While there are many ways to convey product provenance, illustration is one of the most visually striking and evocative, creating a sense of place often without using a single word. In this post, we explore the power of illustration and look at how it can be used alongside other on-pack features to tell a product’s origin story.  

As discerning consumers increasingly seek transparency about the origins of their purchases, the narrative around product provenance has become a key consideration in the packaging design process. Illustration is one way of narrating this origin story, weaving together the art of storytelling with the precision of branding to convey a product’s unique journey.  

The resurgence of illustration 

Once overshadowed by the allure of digital photography and manipulated imagery, illustration has made a comeback as brands try to distinguish their offerings in a saturated market, frequently serving as a conduit for personality, authenticity and differentiation. “Since artisan markets started gaining popularity, consumers are looking for that ‘crafted’ effect in supermarket products,” comments Martin Orme, Creative Director at Equator.  

“You would see market vendors that had worked with local illustrators to create a unique visual identity for their products, and I think this made supermarket work look quite dry and uninspired. In response, there has been a real shift away from the ‘cookie cutter’ style we’ve seen in the past where every product within a range is completely uniform. Instead, through techniques like illustration, the differences between products are being highlighted – and that includes provenance.”

Illustration in action  

At Equator, we work with a number of retail brands and one of the main product categories we design for is wine. These projects provide some of the best insights into how we illustrate provenance because it is such an essential feature within the category, suggestive of everything from grape variety and production method to specific characteristics and flavours.  

With this kind of work, we start off by learning the specifics of each wine. As Martin explains: “The wine buyers have been to the areas where the wine is produced, and they know them inside out. They might come to us with towns they have visited or landmarks they have seen, all to help us identify and individualise each wine. We call it the ‘story of the wine’ and I see it as being like a postcard you’re sending back to your family.” 

In addition to creating a mood board for each wine within the range, our team undertakes an audit of what is already in the market for each variety. Then they employ some imaginative methods to get a sense of a place, from the architecture of an area to its topography, and explore landmarks from several different angles. “Sometimes we’ll just walk around villages on Google Earth,” admits Martin.  

“It’s about understanding all of the features of an area that make a wine distinctive. And not every illustration will be a landscape. Sometimes it’s about the location of the vineyard (whether it’s coastal or near marshland, for example) or the particular vines that grow there. All of these elements play a part in the final design – and that might be an illustration in a more abstracted way, like a topographical map or a cut through of the soil.” 

Single origin stories 

Provenance also comes into play in a big way when products are either typical of a particular region or described as being ‘single origin’. Coffee and chocolate are two great examples of the latter. “These products are often shaped by provenance,” says Martin. “A Brazilian coffee might be different from an Ecuadorian one, for example, so it’s about communicating the nuances between them.” While landscapes can be an effective way of conveying place, there are plenty of other options, including the flora or fauna, indigenous people, or local crafts, all of which can detail the locality.  

Morrisons’ The Best range of South African wines proved an ideal opportunity to explore the flora and fauna angle, with our team of illustrators creating a suite of wine labels designed to encapsulate the individuality of each wine’s heritage and taste profile, while this portfolio project for M Cellars wines allowed us to explore beautiful watercolour landscapes. Both approaches aim to transport the consumer to a completely different setting, adding colour and vibrancy to the product they’re holding in their hands.  

Navigating current trends in illustration 

While current trends in illustration may influence brands looking to differentiate themselves, they should only be used if they work as part of a wider strategy. “There are a lot of heavily stylised illustrations around at the moment that feel quite editorial but show signs of being hand created,” comments Martin. “So, illustrations of people might play with unnatural proportions – elongated figures or balloon legs – but you can see evidence of watercolour or pencil grain. It’s definitely a move away from clean, Vector-style illustrations. 

“For brands, before jumping on a particular style, it’s important to establish a strong starting point. Are you trying to be vintage? Quirky? Contemporary? Once you know what you’re trying to achieve through the illustration, you can really go for it. But there’s also a danger that, if the graphics don’t work with the illustration, it will feel jarring, so it’s about making sure that these two things work beautifully in harmony to evoke a sense of place, as well as a sense of the brand itself.” 

The power of storytelling  

Ultimately, illustration transcends mere aesthetics; it’s a storytelling mechanism that captures the essence of provenance. By embedding the story of a product’s origins into its packaging, brands can help consumers feel more connected to and informed about what they’re buying and distinguish their products in a crowded market. Illustration, in this context, is not just decoration but dialogue – a way for products to communicate their roots and values directly to the consumer.  

To learn more about Equator’s in-house illustration team or discuss a packaging design project, get in touch today.