Xaman Beer

Design: Estudio Manila
Location: Mexico
Project Type: Produced
Client: Xaman Beer
Product Launch Location: Mexico
Packaging Contents: Beer
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Cardboard
Printing Process: Foil stamping, digital print

The figure of a shaman evokes mysticism. It means legend and mystery. At the same time, it is an unmistakable icon of our collective imagination. We capture this magical essence in Xaman, a Mexican craft beer that lives between the elegance of its flavor and the handmade qualities of its process.

With our mindset on a shamanic figure located in northern Mexico, we created a palette of warm colors that reminds us of the desert landscape. The textures and patterns designed for the brand have textile features, which work as an abstraction of our shaman’s handmade clothing. Thus, we seek to reflect a part of Mexican identity avoiding the most common places.

The logo has also native qualities. The typography, created too by Estudio Manila, is inspired by the engravings that decorate pre-Columbian cities and research on pre-Hispanic art. The representation of the shaman -slightly amorphous, with a face of typically Mexican features and a concoction raised in a sign of admiration- combines symbolic and aesthetic elements that reaffirm the brand’s personality while they balance the composition.

To this graphic conception, we added a modern notion of elegance. Angular and clean lines work as a counterweight to the artisanal inspiration, providing neatness and finesse to the entire identity.

Similar characteristics were applied to the labels, each with its own color to differentiate between the three different types of beer. In addition, they were decorated with particular abstractions of the shaman’s depiction. In turn, a standard package was designed and printed in a single ink to make it more environmentally friendly.

The shaman is also represented in the corporate stationery and the bottle caps of each bottle. This completes a graphic identity that’s consistent across all its manifestations.