Branding, Identity,
This method uses ancient materials and practices — stone, wood, fire, and clay — instead of modern technological conveniences. YAHA-YAHUI was created to bring the pure essence of Mezcal and Mexican culture to Europe by preserving traditions with centuries of history, supporting small batch production, and lifting up local communities.
The Mixtecs were one of the most influential groups of Mesoamérica, and in their culture we find Ocho Venado Garra de Jaguar, a prominent Mixtec king. He held the position of Yaha Yahui, one of the highest rankings in Mixtec culture, a kind of priest with supernatural abilities to transform into any living being or natural phenomena. As a visionary, Ocho Venado united 'Las Tres Mixtecas' under his reign, allowing the Mixteca culture to thrive in peace.
We incorporated the feeling of engraving into the logotype and a series of illustrations that pay homage to Ocho Venado. He was known to transform into a jaguar and deer, which are reflected in the illustrations, along with the agave, a sacred cornerstone of Mixtec culture and the plant where mezcal comes from. As a unifying element, each of these illustrations feature the brand icon as the character’s eye.
We carried these concepts and details into the creation of the bottle. In collaboration with the YAHA-YAHUI team, we commissioned a custom bottle to be designed by Mexican ceramicists: Arta Cerámica. When creating the shape of the bottle, we drew inspiration from vernacular architecture, utilizing a rough texture and an earth tone color palette. Finally, we brought in the eye icon through its engraving at the bottom of the bottle.