‘Safe’ no longer cuts it in the drinks business. Be clever, be courageous or call time, writes Steve Pearce
Bravery in brand design is not a new idea. No one has ever unveiled a new brand design and described it as the safe, expected, and familiar solution. What is new is that to be successful today, particularly in the drinks market, you need to be genuinely brave.
The cost-of-living crisis, a post-pandemic spending slump, changes in values and ethics, as well as trends towards alcohol moderation and ‘underconsumption’ more generally, have all reduced spending on drinks: the IWSR reported that the UK spirits markets declined by five percent in 2023.
Such fierce competition demands distinctive brand design that stands out, and gets remembered. Drinks brands don’t need safe brand design that’s described as brave; they need genuinely brave brand design.
It’s far harder to do than to say. After all, bravery alone is not enough – it must also be effective. In today’s market, drinks brands are doing it most successfully in three ways: subverting codes, becoming part of the cultural conversation, and landing authentic and striking collabs.
Subverting design codes
We’re seeing some incredibly brave work from drinks brands subverting decades-old design codes to create something that feels entirely new. Look at Belvedere 10 – its chiselled-from-stone bottle design (below) is unparalleled in its rarity. Standing at ten levels tall in tribute to the liquid’s ten-step creation process, and with a diamond-like sheen that nods to the organic Diamond Rye used to make the spirit, it drives an ‘I need this’ type of hype and desire that’s not too dissimilar from streetwear’s drop culture.
In a similar vein, 818 Tequila’s Eight Reserve comes in a uniquely sculpted ‘8’ shape decanter that became instantly recognisable as it flooded social media feeds. The brand’s been able to win over younger audiences so well because it understands what they want. To them, luxury is about exclusivity. It’s about having something that other people don’t, and being able to showcase this without necessarily having to have a brand name plastered around your home.
This was something we considered when designing the look and feel of Haig Club (see top image). We’d spotted the whisky-soaked glamour of shows like Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire, and how these were inspiring a new generation of drinkers to dip their toe into the world of whisky. But there wasn’t a Scotch whisky that was tapping into this.
Our vision was bold: a bottle you’d expect to find on a fragrance counter rather than a whisky shelf. The blue glass not only differed from the rest of the competition, it also referenced the blue nosing glasses used by the blenders. It became the most talked-about spirit launch of the year and its features in fashion and style publications such as Vanity Fair, Glamour, and GQ introduced the brand to an entirely new audience.
Joining the cultural conversation
Another brave approach drinks brands are taking is to raise their perspectives from the drinks category altogether, and find ways to become a part of the broader cultural conversation. What are people talking about on TikTok? What themes are resonating in the worlds of music, film, TV, and fashion? How can your brand be part of this, capture a current mood and energy, and use it to create memorable moments?
Drinks brand Poppi has become one of the fastest growing beverage brands in the US by doing exactly this. Witnessing Gen Z and millennials’ heightened health awareness, the brand showcases what the future of soda can look like – fun and functional. By creating a series of talkable moments for social media, including its ‘Coachearlea’ with influencer Alix Earle and its futuristic pop-up ‘Poppi Mart’, it’s been able to foster a community of loyal online fans who share photos of themselves with the bright coloured cans and equally vibrant merch.
Our work for Wildmoor – the new Scotch whisky by William Grant & Sons – was also born out of an identification of an emerging urge, this time for escapism and return to nature among young city dwellers in Asia. In response to this, we centred the brand on the Highlands’ elemental beauty, steering clear of traditional tourist photography and tartan wrappers to depict a much more wild and rugged picture of the landscape. The bottle texture for example, perfectly mimics the topography of the area, giving drinkers a literal slice of Scotland that they can take home.
These memorable moments can be incredibly simple too, though. The clock at Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse is an example. Permanently set to 10am – the time each day that its specialist tasters conduct their quality checks – it has become an iconic photo experience that’s shared again and again on social media. A giant, broken clock to end the tour? It’s a brave move, but it’s creating a moment that goes beyond the drink itself, giving people something to shout about, something to remember, and in doing so providing the brand with long-term relevance and loyalty.
Authentic and striking collabs
Limited editions and smart, unexpected collaborations are yet more ways in which drinks brands can be brave. Who would expect wine brand Penfolds to offer a series of limited-edition bottles in collaboration with Japanese luxury designer Nigo or Chivas Regal to collaborate with SteffLon Don, one of the biggest upcoming female UK rappers, or to partner with youth-media platform GUAP as part of the brand’s ongoing efforts to create spaces to nurture talent from unrepresented communities?
These collaborations were unexpected, so they gained attention, but they were also authentic, and helped change outdated perceptions of those brands.
Elsewhere, Jameson has spotted the hype around ‘Brand Ireland’, driven by celebrities like Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan and Ayo Edibiri, and it’s seizing the opportunity. It’s teamed up with clothing brand Percival and is launching a range of limited-edition football style shirts that play into this summer’s Euro-driven frenzy as well as the wider Gen Z demand for vintage-style kits.
Ideas and courage
Whether it’s code subversion, cultural engagement or striking collabs, bravery in brand design relies on ideas. Ideas that are fresh and eye catching but also true to the brand and its audience. It’s not easy to get right, but in today’s drinks market it’s essential.
To drive hype, deliver revenue, and give people something to shout about, drinks brands need to be laser focused, culturally in tune, and above all else unafraid to break the mould.
Steve Pearce is Managing Director of LOVE
