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In this episode Kirk and Andy discuss the music they design to. For them, it's a spiritual thing - a medium that helps them transcend. It's maybe house techno or heavy metal - or even the Boss - whatever it is you can guarantee music is playing while Kirk and Kurtts are designing. Listen in as they reminisce and share their favorites. Who knows - you might discover your next work jam.

Links from the episode:

Above & Beyond Group Therapy (one of Andy's faves)

The Boss

KCRW

Radiohead - Everything in its Right Place video

About Kirk and Andy:

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work here.

Andy Kurtts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work here.

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About Kirk and Andy.

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work http://www.mindthefont.com.

Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work http://www.buttermilkcreative.com.

Music for Kirk & Kurtts intro & outro: Better by Super Fantastics

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Who else is obsessed with the back of packaging? Anyone? Just us? Well we're talking about it anyways! Because after this episode you'll be flipping over every bag, bottle and box you can find.

Join us as we breakdown the elements on the back of pack and discuss the importance of it being well designed. We also share some great resources and examples - linked below:

Miller Creative Pinterest

Oatly Examples

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About Kirk and Andy.

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work http://www.mindthefont.com.

Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work http://www.buttermilkcreative.com.

Music for Kirk & Kurtts intro & outro: Better by Super Fantastics

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Redesigns...can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Amiright? This week Kirk & Kurtts beat a few dead horses discussing redesigns that have launched recently. So pull up your arm chair creative director and join us for our lively discussion! 

Links in this episode:

Campbell's Soup redesign

Burger King redesign

Anchor Steam redesign

Chobani redesign

Sakura Micron redesign (by Kirk!)

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About Kirk and Andy.

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work http://www.mindthefont.com.

Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work http://www.buttermilkcreative.com.

Music for Kirk & Kurtts intro & outro: Better by Super Fantastics

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Whether you call them callouts, violators, or bugs - we all notice them! They are a necessary evil on all packaging design and Kirk & Kurtts are here to break them down for you. 

These design elements can help you stake your claim in a crowded category and speak directly to you target consumer. But when is too much? Or not enough. Listen in as we dissect these creature features and give you the inside scoop from a packaging designer's perspective.

Links featured in this episode:

6:51 - Chicken in a Biskit

8:18 - USDA Organic Seal

11:30 - Bare Bones Broth

16:50 - Cheez-it

17:20 - HA! Snacks

17:44 - Whisps

31:00 - GE Holiday Lighting at Lowes

.........

About Kirk and Andy.

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work here.

Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work here.

Support the show

About Kirk and Andy.

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work http://www.mindthefont.com.

Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work http://www.buttermilkcreative.com.

Music for Kirk & Kurtts intro & outro: Better by Super Fantastics

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This week we're all about the requirements: statement of identity, net weight, nutrition facts panel, ingredients statement...and so on.

In this episode you'll learn why these annoying (but necessary) elements of packaging design are so damn important and hear a cautionary tale of an inexperienced packaging designer who didn't follow the guidelines (spoiler alert: they have to go back to the drawing board.)

We also share our tips & tricks so you never get tripped up by these regulations again!

These are the links from the episode:

A Food Labeling Guide from the FDA: https://www.fda.gov/media/81606/download

Examples of different Nutrition Facts Label formats: https://www.fda.gov/media/99151/download

34:17 - Copper Cow Coffee: https://coppercowcoffee.com/

35:37 - Dalci: https://www.dalci.com/

About Kirk and Andy.

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work here.

Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work here.

Support the show

About Kirk and Andy.

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work http://www.mindthefont.com.

Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work http://www.buttermilkcreative.com.

Music for Kirk & Kurtts intro & outro: Better by Super Fantastics

Show a little love. Share the podcast with those who may benefit. Or, send us a coffee:
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Oh man, it's that time of the year again. Get your PSL ready to go. Actually, get your PSB ready to go. That's right. We break down the time of year when all of the specialty pumpkin beers come out. 

What opportunities arise from doing this? 

What is the allure about pumpkin beer packaging?

Below is the time when we break down some fun packaging and discuss key elements for each, how they are exacted in the design, and what is necessary to convey that it is a pumpkin beer. 

These are the beers:

14:21 - Drop Dead Gordgeous: https://nodabrewing.com/event/drop-dead-gordgeous-imperial-pumpkin-ale/

14:40 - Gordgeous: https://nodabrewing.com/our-beers/gordgeous/

17:20 - Green Flash Needs More Pumpkin: https://www.greenflashbrew.com

20:26 - Big Boss Harvest Time: https://www.bigbossbrewing.com/harvest-time-pumpkin-ale/

23:58 - Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin: https://shipyard.com/beer/smashed-pumpkin/

26:44 - New Holland Ichabod: https://www.newhollandbrew.com/beer/#seasonal/  

31:17 - New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin: https://www.newbelgium.com/beer/voodoo-ranger-atomic-pumpkin/

37:06 - Rogue Dead n’ Dead: https://www.rogue.com/products/dead-n-dead-ale

About Kirk and Andy.

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work here.

Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good b

Support the show

About Kirk and Andy.

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work http://www.mindthefont.com.

Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work http://www.buttermilkcreative.com.

Music for Kirk & Kurtts intro & outro: Better by Super Fantastics

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In our first episode, Andy and Kirk talk about the brand Ugly Sparkling Water and Bruiladdich's Classic Lady Single Malt Islay Scotch. We also discuss and debrief Expo East and Andy's quick walkthrough. Listen in. Have some fun. And hope you learn a bit.

Kirk & Kurtts is a fun and sometimes blunt discussion in regards to packaging, what it's like to be a small business owner, and life in general. Every week is different, and every week is fun.

Support the show

About Kirk and Andy.

Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work http://www.mindthefont.com.

Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work http://www.buttermilkcreative.com.

Music for Kirk & Kurtts intro & outro: Better by Super Fantastics

Show a little love. Share the podcast with those who may benefit. Or, send us a coffee:
Support the show