The La Palina Story
The story of the Congress Cigar Company and it’s signature brand, La Palina, begins over a century ago, when Samuel Paley emigrated from the Ukraine and found work as a cigar factory lector – an individual who reads novels, magazines and newspapers to the cigar rollers in the gallery. His interest in the nuances of blending fine tobaccos and the tradition of cigar rolling were recognized by his employer, and he was promoted to roller, and then blender, learning all he could about the craft.
In 1896, Sam opened his own cigar shop in Chicago, with an adjacent factory that he named Congress Cigar Company. Their first product was called La Palina, in honor of his wife Goldie Drell Paley. Sam was a true turn-of-the-century master craftsman, and his cigars quickly gained a reputation of excellence. Sadly, when Sam retired in 1926, La Palina retired with him.
Now, after an 80 year absence, La Palina is back, under the guidance of the original founder’s grandson, Bill Paley. Following his grandfather’s example of quality and excellence, Bill set forth to re-create La Palina with a line of cigars emblematic of the original brand. His quest for the finest quality led him to the late Avelino Lara, the expatriate Cuban Master Blender who created the famed Cohibas for Fidel Castro. Bill Paley worked directly with Lara to create a cigar of the finest quality and flavor. La Palina was reborn.
Resurrecting a Brand
With the cigars themselves perfected, Bill Paley was faced with the challenge of reestablishing a brand that had been extinct since the era of prohibition. Luxury products such as fine cigars demand packaging that reflects the quality and craftsmanship of the products they represent. Armed with surviving examples of the original La Palina cigar boxes, labels and bands, Bill contacted art director Ron Taft to develop new packaging for La Palina that pays homage to the original brand.
The Team
John Taylor Dismukes & Associates have enjoyed a collaborative partnership with Ron Taft for over 30 years. Working closely with lead illustrator Peter Greco, creative director John Taylor Dismukes, and design director Dan Kitsmiller, Ron coordinated the creation of new cigar bands, boxes, labels and advertisements for his client. The complexity of the project—extraordinarily fine detail, intricate embossing and foil work, and ultra high-quality, multi-plate gravure printing—demanded artists of every discipline.
Concepts and Sketches
In order to communicate the quality, craftsmanship, and history of the product, the design team looked to turn-of-the-century examples for inspiration. The intricate filigree borders, scrollwork, and embossing demanded a level of precision approaching that of currency. When it comes to finely detailed work like this, there is no finer illustrator to work with than Peter Greco. Peter thrives on detail. His drawings are meticulous and precise, with nearly geometric exactness combined with elegant, sweeping curves and fretwork. Working with Ron and his client, Peter completed master sketches for each element of the design, refining each component until the design was complete.
Production Art
Working from scans of Peter’s original drawings, the team at John Taylor Dismukes & Associates was tasked with creating the final print-ready artwork. Each element of the design was meticulously re-created in Adobe Illustrator by design director Dan Kitsmiller, and production designer Terri Treiber. Each curve and line was gently re-worked to razor-sharp, geometric precision. Individual elements were tweaked and adjusted to fit precisely within the composition, and intricate guilloché patterns were created.
Color Comps
Because the cigar bands and packaging would incorporate spot colors, foils and embossing techniques that are difficult for the client to visualize, John and his team created a second version of the artwork in Adobe Photoshop to simulate the final printed pieces. Embossed effects and metallic foils were simulated as three-dimensional layers, complete with reflections, lighting and shadows. John experimented with various colors and options until perfection was achieved and the client was satisfied.
Final Production Art
With the color palette and embossing details now in place, The production team revised the vector art in Adobe Illustrator, creating individual plates for each color and effect. The final files were then handed over to the print house’s prepress team to prepare them for the printing process. Ron Taft personally supervised the final production, working closely with the printer to achieve his client’s vision.
The Results
In all, the design team completed several pieces of finished art for the La Palina brand, including a new logo, cigar box graphics, labels, ad slicks, and cigar bands. The results of the collaboration between all of the artists involved speak for themselves, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the final product. Each piece is an exquisite work of art in its own right, recalling turn-of-the-century workmanship and reflecting the rich history and quality of the La Palina Brand.
