Rotocon announces wine label design competition winners

Rotocon has revealed two winners of its first wine label design competition in partnership with the Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) Department of Visual Communication, Faculty of Arts & Design.

First prize of R30 000 (1523.67 USD) went to Mpho Moema, a fourth-year student, and in a surprise twist during the winning label selection, Rotocon also decided to award Jimmy Libese, a third-year student with a runner-up prize of R15 000 (761.84 USD).   

Rotocon launched the competition earlier this year, challenging undergraduate students to develop innovative, cutting-edge wine label designs. The designs had to factor in the design process and strong ideation that must speak to contemporary printing processes as well as finishing; including foils, varnishes, die-cuts and embossing.   

Moema’s label design was inspired by the Cape vineyard scenery. ‘I portrayed this by illustrating the vineyards in the foreground and Table Mountain in the background,’ said Moema. ‘The dots used to form these illustrations give the perspective of viewing this scene as though you are in the vineyard looking out and seeing Table Mountain in the distance.  

‘The dots represent stars, as the design was inspired by a scene of the landscape under a starry sky. When looking at the dots from afar, it gives the illusion of the dots having a subtle glimmer. I used the stars to capture this landscape.’  

Libese said the fact that he was chosen as runner-up came as a big surprise since initially only one winner would be chosen. His design is inspired by animals stealing grapes from vineyards – monkeys being one of them.  

‘The illustrations are whimsical and playful,’ explained Libese. ‘The brand might be targeting younger, more adventurous consumers who are looking for a fun and unique wine-drinking experience. This can help create a positive emotional connection between the brand and its consumers.’  

The winning wine label design selection process was led by Rotocon CEO Michael Aengenvoort and Banie Stafford of B Creative, Rotocon’s marketing and branding agency and took place May 5 at TUT’s Arts Campus in Pretoria. Aengenvoort gave an inspiring keynote address to 30 participating students in the contest about the power of dreams, emphasizing that pursuing dreams is not always easy.  

‘Dreaming helps you set goals that are measurable and achievable, fuels motivation, and fosters creativity to think outside the box,’ said Aengenvoort. He added that failure is a natural part of this journey and challenged students to never become complacent. ‘You have the power to create the life you want.’ 

Moema and Libese will be flown to Cape Town to be recognized at the WineLand Media/Rotocon prestigious 30 Under 30 Awards luncheon on June 15, and each will receive certificates from Rotocon about their knowledge in label printing and finishing. The winning label designs will be printed on a press with auxiliary technologies, all represented by Rotocon, and applied to wine bottles for presentation at the awards.