The Torridon are one of our major clients and we have been working together for some years now. We have worked on their branding, website, marketing materials and other design-related activities.
So when they decided they wanted a branded whisky bottle, we were keen to get involved and start designing.
The design brief was two-fold; we wanted to incorporate the branding of The Torridon as well as making it look like a whisky brand. To do this, we had to bring in two different styles that worked together and carry out research into what is expected from a whisky brand.
We came up with three quite different concepts ranging from the more traditional designs to slightly more contemporary.
It was also important to keep the end user in mind and create a design that would appeal to The Torridon’s customers. So once we had decided on the final three ideas, we put it to them to see which they liked best. We ran a competition on social media and asked the audience to vote on their favourite design.
 

This is quite a simple design. No frills. A slightly more traditional idea, this label showcases the ingredients of the product and looks very clean and simple.
Here’s what people had to say…
“This is the ‘softest’ looking label and the one I like the most”
“Sleek, in a simple clean way.”
 

This design has more of a modern twist to a traditional whisky bottle. Using a copper foil, we wanted to ‘class it up’. We added subtle colour and grey tones, to create that contemporary look and fell.
Here’s what people had to say…
“It’s different!”
“Clear and modern!”
“It’s unique!”
“I like Option 2…. Colourful barrels!
“Nice, rustic yet modern…”
 

As this is an own-brand whisky, it made sense to do a design with the hotel in the forefront of the design. It doesn’t get much more ‘Torridon-y’ than this. This particular concept was inspired from other whisky brands, using sectioned labels in the packaging.
Here’s what people had to say…
“This one captures your venue in a classy way”
“I love Option 3! The hotel is majestic and truly one of a kind!”
“Love Option 3 because I love castles”
“Classy and timeless and ageless”
 
And just to throw another one into the mix, one voter said, “Is there one with Rohaise on it?? That would surely get everyone’s vote.” (Rohaise is one of the owners of The Torridon)
However, despite that excellent suggestion, we had to pick a winner from these three options.
And the winner was ……… Option 2!
Taking into account the contemporary look, this design incorporates the sophisticated branding of The Torridon and is a clear winner.
So, we put it to The Torridon customers to find out which design they preferred,  now it’s your turn. Which is your favourite design?

Over the last couple of months we have been working hard for our client RR. Spink to prepare for the launch of the ‘RR. Spink 300 Anniversary Limited Edition Royal Fillet’. Inspired by the long standing history and expertise in fish mongering, RR. Spink were ready to mark their 300 year anniversary with something a bit special.

The idea came to celebrate with a limited edition fillet of trout. As it is all about the 300 year anniversary, it was decided that only 300 trout fillets were to be produced and they would sell for £300. So the concept had been decided. The taste had been perfected. Now over to SHINE for the design.
The inspiration for the packaging came from whisky. When you think of whisky, you think of a luxury product, steeped in Scottish history and a real depth to the flavour. This was the idea we wanted to get across. As the trout has a smoky yet woody taste, it made sense to base the packaging design on this.

To really showcase and introduce the product, we created a beautiful information leaflet. In here, it explains all about the history of RR. Spink, the reasons behind for the limited edition fish and what you can expect to experience when purchasing this product. This was to be included in every package that was sold.

Normally when you buy fish from the supermarket you don’t expect it to be beautifully packaged in a wooden-inpsired box. Of course, this product is in a league of its own. Our bespoke box design is reminiscent of whisky, promoting the exclusivity of the product.

So the product and packaging design were now perfected. The next stage was to hold the launch event. Invitations were designed and sent to London’s finest foodie fanatics (is that too much alliteration?) to attend the unveiling of the world’s most exclusive smoked trout fillet. At £300 per fillet, this promised to be one of the most exciting prestigious events for fish-lovers.

The brand ambassador, Michelin star chef Mark Sargeant, hosted and introduced the event at his Soho restaurant, Morden & Lea.  He was telling us all about —
Wait! Is that a yellow chopping board?!! We love it!

Anyway, he was telling us all about the fish and the guests got to sample the exclusive fillets, as well as some delicious canapés.

Not bad for a night out in London. If you are now intrigued about the ‘world’s most exclusive fish’ have a read on RR. Spink’s blog here, where they go into more detail about the actual product itself.