Project Overview

The birth of Blender is a culmination of the creativity and inspiration of the partners who have grown alongside Laizhou Distillery since its establishment. Blender Single Blended Whisky The Inaugural Edition is meticulously crafted by the new generation of master blenders who have made exploration among 52 cask types and 245 flavour profiles, aiming to create a blended whisky with a distinct Chinese flavour.

Equally impressive, its packaging marries exquisite craftsmanship with profound cultural significance, exuding artistic elegance while immersing consumers in the charm of Chinese culture.

Organisation

BACCHUS LIQUOR (CHENGDU) CO., LTD

Team

Renquan Xiang, Ping Mu, Yan Zhang, Sijia Liang, Wanting Tang, Jielu Wang, Hufei Yu, Ming Ke, Rong Chen

Project Brief

Blender Single Blended Whisky The Inaugural Edition is a whisky that cleverly fuses traditional craftsmanship and modern technology, dedicated to improving the brand image and attracting consumers through its distinct Chinese flavour and upscale packaging design.

Its packaging, inspired by Chinese natural philosophy, employs an innovative design language and exquisite craftsmanship, successfully transforming the quality and culture of the whisky into a unique visual symbol and a good user experience. This approach effectively enhances brand value and evokes emotional resonance with consumers.

Project Innovation/Need

- The design team found that the five key elements related to whisky-making exactly echo the five elements in Chinese natural philosophy. Drawing inspiration from that, they have taken the pentagon as the core element, creating a unique visual symbol with profound cultural significance.

- The packaging improves the overall visual appeal through meticulous attention to detail design and colourway. The bottleneck is adorned with a pattern of Pi Xiu (a Chinese mythical auspicious creature), which not only conveys good wishes for wealth and fortune but also makes the brand highly recognizable with enhanced aesthetic pleasure. In terms of colourway, the bottle adopts a gradient colour scheme from light to dark, highlighting the brand's respect for quality and time. The gift box features clever colour contrast ”low-key grey for the exterior while vibrant orange for the interior giving a striking visual impact. Its combination with a leather-textured finish further showcases the premium quality of the product.

Design Challenge

The challenge was striking a balance between upscale aesthetics and practical functionality to avoid any compromise on actual usability due to over-design. To address that, the gift box utilizes a leather-textured finish, bringing both visual and tactile enjoyment. Furthermore, it innovates a pull-and-twist opening mechanism to ensure fun of use and practicality. This not only provides an engaging interactive experience for users when they open the box, but also improves stability and ease of use.

Effectiveness

- In selecting materials for the gift box and packaging, the design team has prioritized using recyclable, eco-friendly materials, meeting the expectations of modern consumers for sustainability while demonstrating respect for the natural environment. The back label material is made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) components, with about 90% recycled content, helping to mitigate environmental issues caused by plastic waste, aligning with Laizhou Distillery's philosophy of Born from Nature. The cork stopper is sourced from the bark of cork oak trees over 30 years old. Cork oak trees have a regenerative process after bark harvesting, they absorb more carbon dioxide to regrow lost bark, thus protecting ecosystem biodiversity.

- This packaging design seamlessly merges traditional Eastern elements with modern design concepts, staying true to the original aspiration of making Chinese whisky and continuously exploring the deep integration of Chinese flavours and local culture, thereby promoting the prosperity of the whisky industry.