Motives and a plea for the arts

The arts came onto the scene because Andreas H. Gratze had enough of publicity that constantly sub- challenges clients. Publicity should be inspiring and inviting - not provoking and flat. With his packaging ideas, Andreas H. Gratze was ready to tender evidence that advertisement can charmingly catch the eye. He wanted to create an artistic packaging that convinces by esprit, humour and high demands.
Unfortunately, the sophistication of publicity is not aimed at the upper level. In order to reach mass impacts, it is usually designed to reach the so called D-class. It remains to be seen if there is such a thing as a D-class after all, however, Andreas H. Gratze follows his very different objectives. He wanted to prove that there are consumers who have higher demands and want to see more than is usually being shown.
Therefore, he began to subversively thwart standard advertisement by using the „surplus value“ of the arts for his packaging. His objective was and is to school and extend the perception – analog to the demonstration given by Zotter chocolates which proved that gustatory perception can be increased permanently. Another objective is to let visual art become effectual in everyday life - art does have much potentials that do not need to be locked away in galleries or other art spaces. Another concern is to appreciate art as a type of media and eventually let art speak out.
After all, design is about creating an adequate packaging which does not promise anything more or less than its content actually offers. Consequently, one of Gratze’s „commandments-of-design“ says that packaging should not be more expensive than its content.

Resonance

The resonance on Gratze’s packaging is enormous. As a matter of fact, it has an inspiring effect on people as the comments of purchasers do show. Moreover, it has a communicative effect since it is a fruitful conversation topic. Furthermore, the banderoles have become collectors’ items and have won an international group of „fans“.
Lots of imitations have come along pairing arts with the commercial product. These days, the idea of an artistic packaging is not as incongruous as it used to be. Of course, there has always been artistic packaging, however, it was limited to the works of famous artists or merchandising products.
Thanks to its visual design, the product could position itself more clearly as a gift. Besides, the certain visual style of packaging becomes an eye-catcher at the point of sale. As a matter of fact, the Zotter fan-community is polarized: There are the ones who buy the chocolate for its taste and there are those, who decide to purchase Zotter for the packaging design in the first place.
Andreas H. Gratze, the Zotter art director receives the highly requested iF- packaging award 2008 in the packaging design category. The judging panel chooses him for translating the taste of the chocolates into the design in such a creative and funny way and AHG is nominated also for the German Design Award 2009. 

Mag. Andreas H. Gratze, born 07.08.1962 in Graz, Austria.
On-the-job training as cook and waiter.
Studies in stage design at the Grazer University of Art.
Father of three children.
Lives and works as a freelance artist and pack-artist in Berlin.
www.a-h-g.at