Kilchoman

THE BACKGROUND

Kilchoman was the first new distillery to be built on the famous island of Islay in over 124 years. With their “100% Islay philosophy” Kilchoman is a family-owned business and represents the revival of single malt whisky being cultivated from barley to bottle in a single, unique location.

The Kilchoman brand depicts a distinctive sense of consideration and responsibility for quality and consistency, with all production finished on-site with skill, care, and mindfulness.

THE BRIEF

Kilchoman’s famous logo perfectly reflects the synergy between land and sea that gives Kilchoman its unique character, as well as hinting at the circular nature of the company’s whisky distilling process, ‘from barley to bottle’. The client was looking for way to communicate its brand heritage, deep-rooted sense of purpose and unique dedication to people, passion, and place.

THE SOLUTION

Signet collaborated with Kilchoman to create a three-dimensional embellishment for the bottle shoulder.

We presented the design for a beautiful cartouche featuring the company logo, die-cast in Zamac and finished with a glistening gold plating. With several whiskies in the range, we proposed filling in the relief on each cartouche with enamel using a distinct colour to match the label designs, making it clear to the customer which product is which on the shelf. This design also added the sense of quality and uniqueness that epitomise the Kilchoman brand.

A technical requirement of this project was to ensure that the cartouche could cope with any small deviations in the shape of the glass substrate.

We achieved this by using an exclusive foam-based adhesive that would hold the product securely for a perfect fit, allowing the cartouche to adapt to any variations in the curve of the glass.

We also equipped each piece with an orientation guide on the reverse, to ensure simple, correct application.

THE RESULT

This distinctive whisky bottle has become synonymous with style and quality around the globe.

Highly impressed with the quality and attention to detail with the cartouche, Kilchoman continue to work with Signet for a wide range of branding solutions.

We were also thrilled when Kilchoman approached us for help with producing some merchandise for their gift shop on Islay. Having previously purchased these items elsewhere, Kilchoman commissioned Signet to produce a die-cast keyring, pin badge and fridge magnet all in a similar style to the bottle cartouche, further ensuring the Kilchoman message of people, passion and place extends to the wider world.