October Studio Thoughts: Unmasking The Hollow Jack Pumpkin Cider Artwork

Hollow Jack Label Design Process

Happy Halloween, friends! I’m excited to share a behind-the-scenes look at the process for this year's Hollow Jack artwork for 2 Towns.

Hollow Jack is our limited-release fall cider that traditionally features a carved jack-o-lantern head with a fresh face and art style each year. This year (2024), we made a big change, shifting from a 500ml bottle to a 16oz can. This switch got us thinking about how to make the artwork even more dynamic and impactful, adding depth to the Hollow Jack character and his story.

Our goal was to create a label that stands out, adding more visual intrigue than the single jack-o-lantern we've done in previous years. Moving to the new can format felt like the perfect moment to reimagine Jack and bring a consistent illustration style to the series. The idea? Give Jack a themed look every year, inspired by classic Halloween costumes and characters like pirates, knights, and wizards.

We landed on a fresh take for our inaugural character: a modern Headless Horseman, but this time, he's riding a motorcycle. We wanted a bold, pen-and-ink style with hatching details, plus a limited color palette to make the design pop, using dark backgrounds and bright orange highlights. The look is designed to appeal to adults while keeping that Halloween spirit.

We kicked off by laying out the 16oz label format and diving into concept sketches.

From there, we started finalizing the concept into a rough draft sketch and then a final piece.

Once the full illustration was completed and approved, we added it to the label template and made final adjustments to the design and details that would be needed for final production.

I hope you enjoyed this peek behind the scenes! It was a thrill to bring Hollow Jack to life this year, and I’m excited for you to experience this year’s twist on our classic character. Click the button below to check out the 2 Towns Cider Finder and see where you can grab Hollow Jack near you. Thanks for following along, and until next time—cheers!

—Brandon