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In my opinion, I think it would be unprofessional to share something they probably hired you to fix unless they are still focused on continuing the same branding even with you taking them on. If you signed a new client, I think the first thing to do is to assess what they’ve done right and wrong and then share ways to turn it around. It’s no need to outright say something is “awful” unless you want to put them down. Just be a leader and fix it or learn how to say something in an emotionally healthy way that can communicate honestly without shaming past ideas. Work in a bonus for yourself if you see things are worst off than originally expected. Make sense?
Only going from your description of the aesthetic, I'm inclined to defend it as a **potentially valid approach, provided that it is well executed, clearly positioned, and communicates a brand story and promise.
The idea that a winery has to market on generations of tradition and cater to a stodgy, older, market (ie, Robert Mondavi) is a dated approach. Walk into a liquor store. There are mainstream wines named Josh, and Cupcake. There's Crimes 19, which features mugshots of well known felons on the label. Canned sparkling wine...exists. Full color, and brightly colored labels are not uncommon.
But it's not enough to look interesting-- what makes the product better and more appealing, and youthful?
The biggest market of wine drinkers in the US is aged 45-70. Yes, its old people. But it's today's generation of old people. Not comprised of boomers-- this is mostly GenX. These are people who were coming of age during the birth of the London Punk scene, and Heavy Metal. This is where the mosh pit was born. It's where anthems like 'We're not gonna take it' took hold, and galvanized a rebellion of young people, into a collective 'Rebel Yell.'
Maybe your position is that wine is more civilized, and caters to the wealthy. Did you know that one of the 10 most highly valued works of art sold at auction was a Basquiat, sold for $10.4M? Or that Banksy's "Love is in the Bin" Sold for $25.4M, both brokered by Sotheby's? Or, how about Shepherd Fairy, the famed street artist whose work now hangs in the presidential gallery of portraits?
Maybe the logo is just awful, and poorly thought out and executed, in every direction. But, maybe... What kind of hero would you be, if you could salvage it?
As a Gen Xer, I approve this message.
I think it is both rude and unprofessional. Companies reach out for help because they already know they need help yet may not know exactly what they’re doing wrong. What they don’t want is to be told verbatim that EVERYthing they’ve done so far is horribly awful. You want to give them hope, not crush their soul. There’s a way to break things down so that they understand and are educated on where things went misaligned, then let them know it’s fixable and what the new path is and that you’re going to help them (that’s why they’re paying you).
On one end, assuming they've hired you to rebrand them, they're paying you to tell them it's bad. You're there to fix it. This does seem like an interesting brand, and could be a fun project. There's a place for bright, punchy colors with a graffiti vibe, but if it's ugly, it won't sell. If the branding is what is killing their sales, than it's time for a change.
On another end, it could seem rude if you outright tell them "your branding is ugly." Choose your language carefully.