5 top tips for designing irresistible sauce bottle labels
If you’re a company selling sauces or other edible products, you’ll know that it’s not just how your food tastes that wins you those shiny, new customers. Your products have to look the part too. The designs on your sauce bottle labels are often the first thing that new customers will use to judge whether they’re brave enough to give that ‘alien condiment’ of yours a taste – even just a whiff.
How do you design labels that stand out and sell? Not by being bland or boring; that’s for sure. Here are some of our top tips for designing beautiful sauce bottle stickers that will do 99.9% of the selling for you.
1. Be ‘on brand’ and intentional with your design decisions
They also need to be unmistakably yours…
Incorporating your company branding into your bottle label design is a no-brainer. But if you’re a small, local business or you’re only just finding your feet, your logo alone may not be enough to give you an edge. To grab attention, opt for colours, fonts, graphics, and other features that are in line with your brand, but don’t be afraid to bend the rules a bit.
Let’s say you’re a hot sauce company, and your logo is black, white, and orange, featuring a simple sans-serif font, and a small chilli icon. Instead of just designing something that looks pretty, you could take the black and white from the logo and transform it into a bold chequerboard background. Then, you could grab your chilli graphic and shatter it into tonnes of tiny pieces to represent a ‘spice explosion fuelled by pepper power’ – you get the idea.
The reason these fresh design elements work so well is because they’re intentional. They stay true to the heart of your branding while representing the product you’re trying to sell.
2. Base your custom sauce bottle labels around trending aesthetics
It’s hardly a surprise that packaging sways purchasing decisions for 72% of people (Ipsos). These days, people don’t just want foods that taste great; they want foods that look aesthetically pleasing too. And if you can design custom stickers that fit your customers’ desired aesthetic, you’re onto a winner.
To find your ideal product themes, you need to be savvy on all social channels. Take note of trending products, who’s promoting them, their lifestyles, and everything else in between. For example, TikTok is packed with reels of people rustling up hot wings, trying out bizarre food combos – even sharing their supermarket food hauls. The key here is to suss out which of these videos and creators are most popular, and dissect what they’re doing, so you can bring that same appeal into your sauce label designs.
For a while, hot sauces became synonymous with bearded men, tattoos, and motorbikes, but things are changing. They’re now being promoted by foodies, fitness influencers, and online gamers. All of these communities have an aesthetic to match, so whether you include a nod to the downward dog, feature a funny grime lyric, or find a genius way to design a bottle that fits in with the ‘mob wife aesthetic’, you’ll have much better chances of fending off the competition.
3. Experiment with different shapes
When it comes to shape, don’t just limit yourself to the traditional rectangular or square labels – experiment with custom shapes that add personality to your packaging.
For example, if your brand logo is circle-shaped, applying it to circular stickers can make it feel polished and consistent. Want to be a bit more out there? Design your own custom blob or an abstract asymmetrical shape. Using different sticker shapes aids your brand narrative and adds to the visual appeal.
4. Give your label the right finishing touch
The finish you choose for your label is a big consideration, too. Not only will it affect the look and feel of your sauce bottle, but it will also have an impact on its durability.
Want that ‘straight out of a candy shop’ feel? Go for gloss stickers. A glossy finish adds shine and vibrancy, making colours pop and products look irresistible. Plus, sauce is shiny, so it kinda figures.
Prefer a more organic, understated feel? Perhaps your product is full of natural ingredients? Matt labels are going to appeal to those shoppers with oat milk and asparagus in their baskets. It might sound silly – but honestly – it’s true. Matt labels give off ‘recycle-me’ vibes. And they have the added benefit of being more resistant to mucky fingers, so it makes sense.
Sauce bottle totally transparent? Clear bottles call for clear stickers. Not only do they keep the focus on the sauce inside, but they also create a mind-product connection. When customers see the sauce and the label together, they’ll immediately put 2+2 together, and associate your product with your brand. Genius.
5. Add interactive features to encourage additional sales
Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with interactive features. Adding elements like QR codes to your bottles helps to bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds, offering your customers a chance to engage with your brand in other, exciting ways.
A well-placed QR code on your sauce bottle could lead to exclusive recipes, behind-the-scenes TikTok videos, or special promotions for loyal customers. It’s a great way to increase engagement and encourage repeat purchases.
Satisfy all your sticker needs in one place
When it comes to custom label printing, we’ve got you covered. From sleek address labels for packaging orders to roll labels for small brand motifs, we’ll help you to create high-quality, durable stickers that make your brand memorable.
Shop with StickerShop for a service you can trust. Place your order now or get in touch with our friendly Bristol team.
