Ernie Ball is the top-selling guitar string manufacturer worldwide and a favorite among influential artists like Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, and Buddy Guy. The company that started in Southern California in 1962 and helped shape the sound of rock’n roll is trusted by players of all levels and styles. With a mission to provide the best tools and solutions for musicians, Ernie Ball holds a significant share of the musical accessories market today, being present in more than 5,500 stores and exported to more than 70 countries around the globe.

The challenge: Despite Ernie Ball’s strong connection with musicians worldwide, its accessory packaging was visually fragmented, lacking a system. In a crowded market of music accessories driven by technology, Ernie Ball was looking to defend its position on the point of sales by modernizing its design language, reflecting the innovation of its products, and paying tribute to the rock’n roll culture as an essential attribute to the company’s personality.

The solution: We recognized it was crucial to align the digital and physical components of the brand with the immediate goal of creating an easily recognizable system that stands out on the shelves and differentiates from competitors. Our process included conceptual sketches, 3D renders, product photography, and technical solutions to final print-ready files, consolidating Ernie’s identity and delighting the consumers. We removed unnecessary elements and maximized the logo and product names. Our design direction included materials like metal foil, soft-touch coating, and spot UV finishes giving Ernie Ball’s packaging a vibrant contemporary aesthetic, still paying homage to the brand’s history and heritage.