For many of us, sandwiches, fries, burgers, or chicken tenders are just delivery methods for good sauce, especially when that sauce is made by Zaxbys. Founded in 1990, the Athens, Georgia-based chicken chain celebrates Saucetember™—their annual “celebration of all things saucy”—with a special experience based on their iconic Zax Sauce™. For 2023, they auctioned off a single bottle of Zax Sauce™ to raise money for charity, with the winner receiving the bottle signed by Zaxbys founder Zach McLeroy along with a lifetime supply of the sauce. Zaxbys turned to Zenpack to create luxury packaging for the winning bid, which included branded dipping cups and of course, a big bottle of their famous sauce. While Zaxbys serves up a variety of comfort food, it all started with the sauce. Back in 1990, McLeroy created the recipe and made every batch from scratch, quickly gaining a cult following among college students. He built an entire restaurant empire on his secret sauce recipe, so he needed premium packaging—from the bottle and labels to the dipping glasses and main package—that could live up to the legend. Zenpack designed a bright red package with Zax Sauce for Life printed in Zaxbys brand blue and an embossed stamp of authenticity, just in time for the eBay bidding to begin on September 12, 2023. They expected the auction to attract attention, but they never could have predicted that the winning bid would be $30,900. In addition to a lifetime Zax Sauce™ gift card, the winning bidder received a signed bottle of sauce and four custom-printed dipping glasses. Regardless of size or thickness, glass requires precise packaging engineering for extra protection. Filled with thick sauce, the glass bottle was quite hefty, and the four accompanying dipping glasses needed to be sent in the same rigid box. We wanted to find a balance between functional packaging and keeping the visual cohesive with branding for this special event. Due to unusual price of the products inside, focusing on the details was crucial. The bottle itself paid homage to the first one produced in 1990: How could we communicate quality, excellence, and legacy through materials and printing? Time was limited and the products were fragile: How could we protect the glass and still deliver the sauce in style? With an eye towards premium spirits, we designed and produced luxurious packaging fit for the sauce beloved by Zaxbys super fans. We used a bespoke crimson paper substrate to support an embossed rooster with ultra-fine lines, and we printed the sauce bottle label with a similar textured paper. The Zaxbys team crafted some saucy copy for the label that we produced on our best lithographic printer, and then carefully hand-applied the label on the bottle. For the inserts, we chose high-density EVA foam to guarantee safe delivery. We laminated the foam insert with a velvet substrate for a touch of luxury and to maintain brand cohesiveness throughout. The four dipping glasses are laser-etched with a rooster on one side and the Zaxbys logo on the other. Thanks to all the Zax Sauce™ fans who placed a bid, Zaxbys raised over $30,000 for The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America. One persistent super fan somewhere out there owns an untouchable bottle of sauce stashed away in their custom package. Fortunately, they also have a four bottomless dipping glasses they can fill with a lifetime supply of sauce.
Zaxbys Sauce for Life
Signed Sauce Delivered
The Problem
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