Creating coherent collections

The key to building recognisable and distinctive brands is consistency and commitment. By being here, reading this blog, it’s likely you already understand the importance of brand recognition. This applies to a brands messaging, visual identity, and any other elements that an audience is exposed to. It’s an unwavering principle that underpins many successful brands, including yours.

But we also know our clients – particularly brand managers out there who are custodians of their drinks brand – can feel underwhelmed by the lack of flexibility this may offer. To them, consistency means strict rules of logo application, material use, bottle shapes and colour palettes.

Well… not necessarily. There are features of your pack design that will be your signature. That will (or already have) helped your target audience recognise your brand from afar. But consistency doesn’t mean you have no space for creative play.

In a nutshell, consistency doesn’t mean uniformity.

But what does that mean and how can you create an image your customers recognise whilst still being on brand? When it comes to pack-design, you can craft consistency with different materials, textures, and finishes.
By doing so you create visual harmony across your brand but including fresh variety into your designs.

Whether you’re at the start of your journey and releasing your first expression, or your next batch one of many releases; Building recognisable coherence, but individual intrigue that engages an audience can ensure you stay relevant on the busy physical and online ‘shelves’.

Let’s explore some of the ways our clients have remained consistent whilst using different materials, sizes, and textures.

Using a variety of premium materials across collections, House of Rum distinctly differentiates each spirit. To ensure each bottle conveys a unique narrative, whilst upholding thematic consistency, a matte black embellishment, prominently featuring a character with captivating, vividly coloured eyes can be identified across the range.

Offering a lightweight, 3D tactile appearance, the Marque™ label featured on the Diablo Golden Aged Rum, Spiced Rum, and White Rum bottles sits seamlessly on the matte black canvas. By changing the colour of the devil’s piercing eyes to distinguish expressions, a consistent aesthetic is achieved, enticing brand enthusiasts to collect each variant. Meanwhile, the diecast metal badge, offers a weightier, luxurious feel to the XO Reserve bottle, reflecting the more premium price point.

Demonstrating a dedication to sustainability, Glengoyne seamlessly shifted from a metal coin to an eco-friendly wooden cartouche made from FSC certified Ash, Beech, and Walnut. The larger logo, a key identifier for the brand, is prominently featured on the wooden cartouche, echoing the design that was established with the metal coin. The laser-etched logo contrasts against the dark wood, enhances the overall look of the new cartouche and creates an instantly recognisable image for consumers.

Penhaligon’s faced the challenge of adapting their larger-sized bottles to echo the same aesthetic as the 100ml variant, albeit with smaller quantities that didn’t require automatic application.
These larger vessels were destined for window displays, aiming to captivate attention of customers walking past the busy shop. The rigid nature of the material allowed for enhanced thickness, positioning it more prominently. This choice ensured that even from a distance, the display would catch the eye with its distinctive look and instantly recognisable brand identity.

As always, it comes down to what you want to achieve. How could this apply to your brand? Are you releasing new expressions or special releases? There’s no one way but let this spark some inspiration on how you could create a premium experience for your customers.

Feeling inspired? Request a sample pack or call us on +44 (0)1733 396080.