The Latest Competition: Your Brand Agency

It used to be that design firms were responsible for one thing-helping to develop and design your brand. But today, those same agencies are using their expertise to create their own brands. Case in point: THEY. In 2009, the Amsterdam-based brand agency launched Zarb Champagne, which means “bizarre” in French slang. Produced by the Baron family, who has been making champagne for over 300 years, Zarb features eccentric bottles designed by in-house creative directors and executed by international photographers and artists. The brand’s latest collection, Deep Black: The Underwater Exploration, showcases the work of deep sea photographer David Shale, underwater photographer Zena Holloway and costume designer Vin Burnham on glossy, black backgrounds. (Package design: Zarb Champagne, www.zarbchampagne.com)