The design agency's brief was to create the strategy, brand identity, naming, brand language, structure and graphics. The brand, called The Gild, needed to be authentic and Western.
Rory Fegan, senior strategist at Pearlfisher said: "The bottle states that the whisky is 'conceived in London, born in Scotland' to establish the Western heritage and desirable credentials that the primary Russian audience is seeking. The name refers back to the guilds of London – the masters and the craftsmen – but has a double meaning with 'gild' also referring to the gold standard."
Pearlfisher creative director Sarah Cattle added: "The identity and graphics are bold and contemporary yet inspired by the letterpress which reflects a level of craftsmanship, clarity and refinement. The blue dot can be seen as stamp of the guild but, essentially, adds to the brand equity as a recognisable and ownable signpost for the whisky community – and will act as a brand and marketing device in its own right as people learn to look for it. To complement this we have created an exciting and enticing back of pack story which can also be used as part of the brand's wider marketing initiatives."
Anton Plekhov from Lucky Spirits said: "We spotted a niche in the market to target the 18-25 year-old whisky drinker with a brand specifically designed for to compliment their needs and lifestyle. The new brand and packaging Pearlfisher designed challenges the category standards and creates a new language for the whisky market. We are very excited about this launch."
