Dia Elis is an award-winning extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) produced in the historic region of Elis, in western Peloponnese. Since ancient times, the kingdom of Elis has been famous for its olive groves, but also for organising the ancient Olympic Games. The glorious history of this land is testified by Homer, who calls it “dia Elis” (divine Elis).
Studio Aristotelis Barakos was commissioned to design the bottle for this exquisite olive oil. Aiming for simplicity and elegance, we created a minimal, sculptural bottle inspired by the ancient Doric columns found at Elis’s formidable temples and gymnasia. The columns of the Doric classical order possess a disarming beauty characterised by simplicity and symmetry.
The fine vertical fluting on a Doric column is acute, unlike Ionian and Corinthian columns, where the fluting is flat. This creates a pleated effect and a powerful sense of rhythm, especially in the way the column plays with shadow and light. Austere yet engaging, the Doric column stands as a timeless archetype of architectural balance and perfection, its design materialising a promise of eternal youth.
Imitating these acute Doric grooves, the Dia Elis bottle creates a similar shadow effect, all the while offering a practical grip for the user. The bottle is in stoneware ceramic, suitable for food storage, that is made using elaborate plaster moulds and the slip casting technique. The design of the bottle itself was a challenge, because it had to achieve the best possible aesthetic result in combination with the practical requirement of being able to remove the cast ceramic from the moulds. The bottle’s form was first designed digitally and 3D-printed in real size, to then create the plaster moulds for the final product.
Our Studio advised the client to proceed with a comprehensive branding strategy that would include not only the bottle design but also a packaging concept and visual identity for the product. To that end, Athens-based design consultancy G Design Studio entered the project as a collaborator for the branding and storytelling process.
G Design Studio conceived the structural packaging — a lightweight but load-bearing lid that is easy to pick up and covers the top of the bottle, like the capital of a column. This solution was chosen so that the handmade bottle can remain exposed and create a visually striking object that can stand out on the shelf. The elegant visual identity combines references from the history of Elis, particularly the women’s running contests that were organised there, where runners would race with their hair loose. An illustration on the packaging shows one of these female runners from Elis, with flowing hair, celebrating the role of women in local society since ancient times.
Credits:
Ceramic bottle design:
Studio Aristotelis Barakos
Branding and Packaging: G Design Studio
Photo Art Direction: G Design Studio
Photographed by Giorgos Vitsaropoulos