background
Woodford Reserve is seen as a leading premium bourbon. It is also credited to have paved the way for more complex and layered bourbons. Brown Forman wanted to raise the awareness of whiskey in the Indian market. It was a part of a larger goal to position it as an alternative to premium scotches.
The client wanted a special pack for the festive season for the domestic market as well as travel retail, a time of the year when whiskey demand peaks.
thinking
Woodford Reserve is a complex bourbon, with some 200 flavor notes. The brief was to create a spectacle—on the pack, shelf and the store. Also, Woodford Reserve is rooted in bourbon making tradition and a depth of character. These two weren’t at odds but had to be bridged.
The design, to adequately respond to the brief, had to negotiate with the brand without moving too far away from Woodford Reserve’s character.
design
The festive pack’s structure lets the whiskey shine through, with the design creating a layer of intrigue and texture from behind, hinted at the complexity and the spectacle that awaits the drinker.
On the pack, the mood is celebratory but in a matured manner. Fireworks light up the rich brown canvas of the box. Inside the box is a reverberating sparkler circle, with Woodford Reserve brandmark ‘WR’ at the center. The sparkles are rendered in a rich copper gold, inspired by the copper pot stills used to make the whiskey in their historic distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, USA.
sharea spectacle for America’s finest bourbon
Woodford Reserve is the premier bourbon whiskey in Brown Forman’s stable. It’s an American classic, with a bourbon making tradition that goes back to 1812 at their distillery in Versailles, Kentucky. The client wanted to increase awareness of Woodford Reserve in the Indian market and establish it as a premium complex whiskey. The festive season presented an opportunity. ICD collaborated with the brand team on a special festive pack.
a layered setting to let the bourbon shine
Woodford Reserve’s distinct crystal bottle lets the whiskey speak on the shelf, there’s minimal branding and no large labels. The whiskey is a rich, layered bourbon with over 200 flavors, the reticence adds character. The festive pack’s structure, too, lets the whiskey shine through, with the design creating a layer of intrigue and texture from behind.
a deep appreciation of the festive season and its symbols
The mood is celebratory in a matured manner, in keeping with the spirit of Woodford Reserve. Fireworks light up the rich brown canvas of the box. Inside the box is a reverberating sparkler circle, with Woodford Reserve brandmark ‘WR’ at the center. The sparkles are rendered in a rich copper gold, inspired by the copper pot stills that distill the whiskey.
sharepartner in charge itu chaudhuri | design concept pradyut nath | design development pradyut nath, sidhant singh rajput | production supervision ashok dey, pradyut nath | alternative concept ashok dey | photography vivekanandan, pradyut nath | project duration 3 months
