Five times distilled Cavoda Vodka styles itself as an innovative brand inspired by elite pop culture with a nod to ancient French distilling traditions. The world’s first illuminated vodka bottle, it’s a brand at home amid the elite nightlife of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, with an allure that lies not only in its groundbreaking visual design but also in it’s impeccably smooth, sophisticated taste.
Signet was incredibly excited to be approached by this forward-thinking, premium brand for help with further enhancing their innovative packaging concept. Our brief originally came from Linea Design, a design agency based in France, who had developed Cavoda’s complete pack design. Having produced a tall, clean bottle design that would show off the illuminated feature to full effect, they wanted to bring an additional sensory element to the table in the form of a loose medallion on the bottle shoulder, that would clink on the glass when the bottle was handled.
As a completely new product coming to market, this was a very exciting time for Signet to get involved with Cavoda. We worked closely with the team at Linea, using their existing branding design whilst remaining mindful of the ultimate look for the product, which features an LED unit in the base to light up the bottle in a series of colours for a truly enchanting effect. Whilst the brief was to create a free-hanging charm that would add an auditory layer to the pouring experience, we knew that this would also need to reflect the magical, ethereal quality of the overall design – and it was also critical that the charm should not fall off when the bottle was tipped.
Signet developed a beautiful die-cast charm based on the original artwork for the bottle, die cast in zinc and finished in chrome. We experimented with a range of options for securing the piece, and settled on a sliding noose concealed within the two-part body of the charm itself, which was sealed after the cord wad added. Once attached, the cotton cord was pulled to tighten and this would then hold the charm tight against the bottle neck as desired, while still allowing it to move against the glass.
The result on this project was a simple yet stunning adornment that really elevated Cavoda’s innovative packaging beyond the ‘novelty’ into something truly decadent. The weight and intricacy of the charm brings visual gravitas to the bottle as well as lending a sensory element, both in terms of the aesthetic and also the sound of the charm chiming against the glass. Stunning in its simplicity and yet innately practical, this premium embellishment played a key role in Cavoda’s success at the 2012 international Pentawards, where it scooped a Silver medal for packaging design.
Never under-estimate the impact of finish elements like a seal. It’s not always about print or labelling!
