Glenfiddich

THE BACKGROUND

Glenfiddich is one of the world’s best-loved and iconic single malt whisky producers and represents the Scotch that has won more awards than any other brand. Glenfiddich Ultimate, the 38-year-old bottle of Glenfiddich Single Malt, is a very special thing indeed, and when the company needed help with an exclusive bottling challenge for the Chinese market, Signet was honoured to get involved.

THE BRIEF

Glenfiddich Ultimate represents the pinnacle of the range of exceptional Glenfiddich whiskies, distilling 125 years of experience into an exclusive and rare expression. The bottle design and branding requirements needed to communicate this exquisite level of refinement and quality.

Supplied in a special decanter, ornate with an intricately cut heavy crystal stopper, each bottle is also hand-numbered and accompanied by a brass identification card.

Glenfiddich’s Ultimate 38-year-old single malt was already available in the Asian travel market, but the bottler, Stoelze, had experienced some problems with the current lavish golden neck collar on the bottle. The bottle itself is made from hand blown lead crystal with real gold inlay and comes in an intricate presentation box.

However, their existing ornate golden neck collar was becoming dull and discoloured over time as the label oxidised. As a world leading product, and a symbol of excellence, Stoelze required a label solution that would not only portray the unrivalled excellence of the product, but also stand the test of time.

THE SOLUTION

Upon investigation it was found that the humidity in the Far East was causing the current metal bottle neck label to oxidise and discolour over time. Utilising a unique Zamac die-cast collar, plated in real gold, and subjected to extensive environmental testing. We were able to reproduce the prestige of the current label without the negative wear over time. Sophisticated and tactile, the Signet produced Zamac die-cast neck collar was the ideal solution to make this distinctive scotch bottle stand out as a market-leading product.

To further enhance the performance of the neck collar for our client we added a unique mechanical closure. This enabled the collar to be produced in two parts that would clip together invisibly for faster, easier application to the bottle. We also updated and adapted the die to include an anti-rotation device – a protrusion inside the collar which corresponds to a notch in the glass, preventing the collar from twisting around during use.

THE RESULT

Providing a beautiful, cost-effective, and bespoke solution to one the world’s most iconic whisky brands, we were able to overcome a significant issue and demonstrate problem solving skills for one of the world’s most renowned whisky brands. Signet continues to produce high-quality branding labels for this symbolic product.