“Barcodes are so ugly. We decided to dress them up by turning them into pieces of art.” —Dave Bourne, Ignite Beverage Branding
Portland, Oregon’s Ignite Beverage Branding was created in the late 1990s by Dave Bourne, who serves as president and creative director. In 2004, the company’s focus switched to startup beer, cider, wine, and spirits producers. “We’ve launched about 300 brands into the marketplace,” says Bourne. “We build brands from the ground up.”
One of the company’s signature offerings is custom-designed barcodes. “Barcodes are so ugly,” says Bourne. “It’s a blight on the label—an ugly rectangle. We decided to dress them up by turning them into pieces of art.”
The first design, about 10 years ago, was for a large distributor with a cow-themed vodka. “We designed a cow eating the barcode pieces,” says Bourne, who says Ignite now tries to design barcodes for all clients, as long as there’s room on the label. “No one requests it. It’s just an extra we offer when inspiration hits.”
Each design is created to speak to the brand, many of which are small, regional producers. “It’s an opportunity to enhance the brand,” he says. “People see the barcodes and know the company is attentive to detail, which transfers to a great product.”
