Mike Perry has had a wild ride through the world of design. From cropping football players at NBC Sports to launching award-winning liquor brands with his agency, Tavern, Mike brings real craft, deep industry knowledge, and an obsession with the details that most people ignore.
In this episode, Kirk and Andy dig into the intersection of creativity, commerce, and booze—specifically how alcohol packaging isn’t just design, it’s storytelling, strategy, and sculpture in one.
Mike shares his journey from designing promos for MLS and NHL to building branding for Budweiser, Guinness, Pabst, and Smirnoff. He breaks down the thinking behind the recent Old Grand-Dad 16 redesign, how to work with (not against) label regulations, and why the back-of-pack matters just as much as the front.
You’ll hear about:
• The unglamorous start at NBC Sports—and what you can learn from cropping out athletes
• The power of legacy marks and why Tavern’s “modern heritage” philosophy works
• What designers get wrong about spirits packaging
• Building client trust on brand revivals like Old Crow and Old Grand-Dad
• Why design teams should always go through the archives
• How bottle structure influences perceived value (and pricing psychology)
• When you shouldn’t follow hierarchy—and how to know when to break the rules
If you’ve ever wanted to get into spirits branding, or if you’re a packaging nerd who can’t stop redesigning your bourbon shelf in your head, this episode will hit.
Mike also talks about the highs and heartbreaks of launching new brands, working with master distillers, and the weird joy of seeing your beer can design in a trash pile after a party—because it means someone loved it.
We’ll definitely have him back for a full deep dive into beer design. This is part one. You’ve been warned.
Follow Mike’s work at https://tavern.agency/ and see the Old Grand-Dad 16 case study for yourself.
Connect with Mike here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikelperry/
About Kirk and Andy.
Kirk Visola is the Creative Director and Founder of MIND THE FONT™. He brings over 20 years of CPG experience to the packaging and branding design space, and understands how shelf aesthetics can make an impact for established and emerging brands. Check out their work http://www.mindthefont.com.
Andy Kurts is the Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative. He loves a good coffee in the morning and a good bourbon at night. When he’s not working on packaging design he’s running in the backyard with his family. Check out Buttermilk's work http://www.buttermilkcreative.com.
Music for Kirk & Kurtts intro & outro: Better by Super Fantastics
Show a little love. Share the podcast with those who may benefit. Or, send us a coffee:
Support the show
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.