Packaging Design Classics – Angostura Bitters | Brand & Packaging Design Agency London

What makes a design classic?

Form and function aside – for me, it’s when these unusual packaging designs and formats come with a real story, real heritage.

Angostura Bitters began its life in 1824 – in the 19th Century the Siegert brothers worked separately on the bottle design, and the label design without comparing measurements – the result was an oversized label erroneously hanging off the bottle.

A competition judge at the time liked the look and commented on how distinctive it appeared – and so, it stuck.

If you’ve ever spotted a bottle of Angostura possibly on every bar across the world – the bottles don’t look new, they don’t look fresh off the back of a wholesale order.

Those bottles look like they have spent an eternity on that bar, weathered, textural – used daily.

And that, is what makes a design classic.

Daniel Hinde

Daniel Hinde is the Founder & Creative Director of Greatergood® Brands – a London-based branding and packaging design agency specialising in FMCG & CPG consumer brands.

With over 20 years of commercial experience building brands for global household names and hundreds of disruptive challenger brands – Daniel leads Greatergood's strategic and creative output across brand strategy, brand design, packaging design and retail strategy.

His work spans food and drink, health and wellness, supplements and everyday consumer goods – from early-stage startups preparing for their first retail listing to established brands repositioning for growth.