Norwich BA (Hons) Illustration students collaborate with Virgin Wines

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Norwich BA (Hons) Illustration students collaborate with Virgin Wines

Published: Wednesday 28 August 2024

A group of five people stand close together outdoors, smiling at the camera. They stand on a paved area with greenery, including a leafy wall, in the background. They appear cheerful and casually dressed, with some holding wine bottles.

Selected illustrators Alexander Lock, Louise Keddy, Tianna Paul, Sophie De Fazio and Jessica Behan.

The Young Artists Collection is the result of a collaborative effort between the team at Virgin Wines and third-year BA (Hons) Illustration students at Norwich. The project gave participating students the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents, and experience working in the world of wine, as they each pitched their creations to the Virgin Wines team, including the CEO, as part of the process.

The brief given to students was to design a wine label and name that has a personal meaning to the artist. 35 students submitted responses, and after two rounds of pitching five designs were selected to become wines.

Two individuals hold wine bottles towards the camera. The left bottle is white wine with a yellow label, and the right bottle is red wine with a bird illustration on the label. Both are set against a backdrop of green foliage.

Alexander Lock with ‘Dead Beat Feet’ (left) and Louise Keddy with ‘Rogue Robin’ (right).

The five students selected were Alexander Lock, Louise Keddy, Tianna Paul, Sophie De Fazio and Jessica Behan. The first two wines to be produced in the collection are ‘Dead Beat Feet’ by Alexander Lock and ‘Rogue Robin’ by Louise Keddy.

Alexander comments about his label design: ‘My design embodies the feeling which we all experience, especially at work, and that is the sensation of being on your feet all day. This is highlighted with the crocodile teeth which also act as the sole for the shoes. I wanted to design something that from first glance looks as painful as it would possibly feel, this was all done as a method of building a relationship between the consumer and the wine label illustration. On top of this having a name like the one I’ve chosen helps to include a hint of humour in the design to help take the edge off the pointy teeth’.

A close-up of the back label of a wine bottle. The label includes details about "Rogue Robin, Mendoza Malbec 2023," the artist Louise Keedy and logos for Norwich University of the Arts.

Graham Tracy, Creative Director at Virgin Wines, commented on the project: ‘Collaborating with Norwich University of the Arts on the Young Artists Collection has been an incredible experience. The creativity and passion these students bring to their designs is truly inspiring, and we are thrilled to feature their work on our wines.’

Gill Sampson, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Illustration at Norwich, said ‘Virgin Wines provided a brilliant opportunity for our final year students to engage with a live brief and get valuable first-hand experience working with creative industry professionals. Graham and the team at Virgin gave ongoing feedback and guidance and it was great to see the confidence students gained throughout the whole process.’