Breaking the waves of the mighty Atlantic Ocean, the Isle of Barra Distillery has a unique and inspirational connection to the power of nature.
Extremely proud of their home and position as the most westerly distillery in the UK, Isle of Barra truly embodies the environment that has become the inspiration behind their distinctive and exclusive, family run company.
With an advantageous contract with the premium retailer Waitrose on the cards, the brand wanted to refresh the look of the iconic Barra Atlantic Gin. They used the opportunity to re-ignite their connection to nature with an updated bottle and label solution that would stand out on the shelves and tell their unique story to a new wave of consumers.
When crafting their unique, premium Barra Atlantic Gin, Isle of Barra chose to honour this historic relationship to their environment with a 100% recyclable bottle, embodying their commitment to preserving the natural elements that allow them to produce such high-quality distinctive spirits.
The unique bottle, designed and produced by Allied Glass, was created to represent the rounded, smooth glass produced from time amongst the waves, while portraying the wild movements of the Atlantic Ocean that inspires the brand.
After a long-standing successful relationship across many of their other product ranges, we were tasked with ensuring that this representation of the connection to nature was communicated through a wholly sustainable and recyclable bottle embellishment that uplifts the bottle design and further demonstrates the brand commitment to eco-conscious production.
Alongside a new bottle design, the Isle of Barra Distillery was keen that the new bottle embellishment also changed position on the bottle and represented a shift in quality that the new bottle demonstrated. Working alongside both their internal team and their design agency, D8, we were able to suggest a refreshed redesign of their current coin.
Retaining the silver, antiqued look of their existing embellishment, we were first able to produce a 3D printed prototype of the design to ensure that the final product would fit perfectly into the newly recessed space on the new bottle design.
Working alongside the new bottle producer, Allied Glass, we made several adaptations to the thickness and size of the final solution to ensure that the coin and bottle fit perfectly together and there would be no application issues or changes to the visual appeal of the final product.
Crafted with a unique curved back that joined to the glass with a strong, durable adhesive, the final product was crafted to look as though the smooth, seamless finish of the bottle and the new die-cast coin embellishment had been found on the shores of the Isle of Barra following years of attrition in the crashing waves of the Atlantic.
The matt finished, metallic die-cast coin, a fully recyclable and ethically produced decoration that now adorns the base of the stunning clear bottle, provides an eye-capturing contrast to the clarity of the glass bottle and transparent contents. Expertly designed and produced, with an exquisite attention to miniature details, the stunning die-cast coin contains a dramatic new logo design and wording that accurately reflects the brand direction – ‘Island Born. Fearless Spirit’.
A fantastic collaboration between our team, the bottle producer, design agency and client, the result is a perfect representation of the bringing together of design creativity and production expertise to personify a premium brand identity.
With a newly designed prototype ready in time to present, we’re pleased that the positive feedback contributed to Isle of Barra Atlantic Gin now being stocked within Waitrose and many other premium retailers, with over 50,000 bottles produced in the last 12 months alone.
“We started working with Signet back in 2017 when we launched our Barra Atlantic Gin and as time has gone on, we have used various partners to assist in the design of the appearance of our award-winning gin.
But all through these years, Signet has remained a constant and there is much reason for this but one comes to mind. They are the market leaders and the service they provide is second to none, from the communication with their amazing staff to the final product they produce.
Signet, to put it simply, just get it! They understand our needs and requirements and for that, we will continue long into the future working with Signet.”
Michael Morrison,
Managing Director & Head Distiller
We started working with Signet back in 2017 when we launched our Barra Atlantic Gin and as time has gone on, we have used various partners to assist in the design of the appearance of our award-winning gin.
But all through these years, Signet has remained a constant and there is much reason for this but one comes to mind. They are the market leaders and the service they provide is second to none, from the communication with their amazing staff to the final product they produce.
Signet, to put it simply, just get it! They understand our needs and requirements and for that, we will continue long into the future working with Signet.
