intrinsic and extrinsic trends in the spirits category from 2013, as researched by CARTILS | Branding & Packaging Design Consultants

1. 2013
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2. CARTILS & SPIRITS
CARTILS Branding & Packaging Design Consultants has been active in the
international spirits market since 1960. In order to deliver up-to-date design work
and branding advice, we constantly keep up with the trends and developments
in this category.
This presentation by CARTILS provides you with an overview of the recent
developments - either intrinsically or extrinsically driven - and their reflections in
packaging design. All developments are connected to shifting consumer preferences.
These preferences seem to have similar influence on the different types of spirits
products, whereas at the same time these sub-categories reveal their own dynamics.

3. INTRINSIC DESIGN DRIVERS

4. In this category, shifting consumer preferences form the basis for the rise of new products and subcategories. On one side, experienced drinkers are attracted by enhancing product characteristics. Opposite
to this, product characteristics are changed or even denied to attract new drinkers.
Experienced drinkers –
Enhance product characteristics
New drinkers –
Change / deny product characteristics

5. Exploring connoisseurs are seeking
for more authentic and high qualitative
spirits
- better ingredients
- crafted process
- authentic recipes
Experienced drinkers –
Enhance product characteristics
New drinkers –
Change / deny product characteristics

6. Exploring connoisseurs are seeking
for more authentic and high qualitative
spirits
- better ingredients
- crafted process
- authentic recipes
Experienced drinkers –
Enhance product characteristics
Fun lovers are looking for accessible and
enjoyable spirits experiences for every
moment
- different flavours
- lighter products
- category crossings
New drinkers –
Change / deny product characteristics

7. EXPLORING CONNOISSEURS
−
small batches
−
special barrels
−
master blenders
−
vintage editions
−
new world whiskeys
−
organic processes

8. Small batches
There is a further expansion of
consumers’ need for authentic
products, resulting in an increasing
popularity of small batch spirits,
mainly handcrafted. There are two
different approaches:
1. Small batch brands are
launched, creating a whole new
category code. Designs show
pharmaceutical bottles and
handwritten labels.
2. Established brands are
introducing small batch line
extensions. Designs are in line with
the existing presentations.

9. Special barrels (1)
During production, whiskey is
matured in barrels. An ongoing
trend is finishing whiskeys in
special barrels, like ones that were
already used to mature red wine or
sherry. Also the total number of
casks used during maturation is
increasing.
Newer are extreme barrel types,
like used for Jameson Select
Reserve. This distillate is matured
in black, flame-charred American
oak casks.
Special barrels are even used as a
myth. Apparently devils trapped in
a cask give whiskey a unique
flavour, see Jim Beam Devil’s Cut:
Red wine
Sherry
Tripple cask
Black, flame-charred
Devil’s cask

10. Special barrels (2)
Not only the whiskeys are finished
in (special) barrels, increasingly
this process is also used to mature
rums, gins and vodkas. Hereby,
mainly ‘normal’ oaks or sherry
oaks are being used.
ABSOLUT vodka has launched
Absolut Amber;
a new oak-aged expression:
Rum
Vodka
Gin

11. Master distillers (1)
Special recipes, mainly from the
founders of the brands, are
introduced as premium blends.
This contributes to more authentic
and special brand images.
Chivas Regal pays tribute to the
pioneering art of blending and the
Chivas house style, created by
James and John Chivas in the mid
1800’s
Beefeater Burrough’s Reserve uses
the original Beefeater recipe
refined by Beefeater’s founder
James Burrough in the 1860’s
Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller
honors its very first master
distiller: Mr. Jack himself, see:

12. Master distillers (2)
Also famous blenders/ mixologists
from today are creating unique
blends for well-known brands.
These blenders also deliver high
qualitative and unique products.
The Johnnie Walker Directors Blend
is created by Johnnie Walker’s
master blender Jim Beverage.
ABSOLUT Craft is born in a
partnership with the re-knowned
bartender and mixologist Nick
Strangeway.
Tanqueray master distiller Tom
Nichol has recreated the
Tanqueray Malacca gin:

13. Vintage
A vintage spirit focusses around
the year in which the spirit, most
often with high quality ingredients,
was produced.
Vintage editions are more common
in the whiskey category, although
in white spirits there are some
brands introducing these kind of
variants as well.

14. “New world whiskeys”
Both whiskey and whisky build
upon their competent origins.
Upcoming are “new world
whiskeys” originating from more
unexpected regions like England,
Czech Republic, The Netherlands,
and Manhattan (USA).
NL
Manhattan
CZ
UK

15. Organic processes
Consumers are getting more and
more interested in organic food
and drinks. Especially, the white
spirits category responds to this by
introducing organic variants.
In comparison with organic food,
this category has a young and hip
character. Dominated by edgy
designs and differentiating bottle
shapes. Its seems that the USP
‘organic’ is mainly reflected as
textual endorsement and not
resulting in a specific visual
category coding.
For example Prairie is made with
respect from seed to glass:

16. FUN LOVERS
−
flavours:
− herbs, vegetables and fruits
− sweet
− spicy
−
light spirits
−
category crossings
−
ready-to-drinks (RTD)

17. Herbs, vegetables and fruits
In the previous century, Russia
started to introduce flavoured
vodkas (mainly with peppers,
lemon and cranberries).
Nowadays, especially white spirits
are globally launching ranges of
flavours. IRI data reveals flavours
are growing faster than regular
vodka, generating 21% of total
dollar growth in the category.
Relatively new are vegetable and
herb flavours.
Flavoured whiskeys are upcoming,
mainly offering fruit flavoured
variants. Even sub-brands for
whiskeys are brought into the
market, like Red stag (Jim Beam):

18. Sweeter flavoured
It seems that sweet and spicy
flavours are introduced to appeal
to opposite consumer preferences.
Sweetening is an attractive way for
spirits to create a more accessible
taste. Sweeter flavours are created
by adding honey, maple syrup or
caramel. Apparently, an extra
reason for adding honey to vodka
is that it solves the issue of
bartenders experiencing honey
sticking to the bottom of a glass.
Jack Daniels introduced the brand’s
first flavoured variation, for the
younger fun loving audience:

19. Spicy flavoured
Opposite to the sweeter flavours,
spicy flavours are also increasing
in popularity.
The second most selling rum
(Captain Morgan) is a spiced rum.
Its success caused new spiced rum
variants to be introduced,
like The Kraken:
Spicy flavoured whiskeys are also a
big trend. These variants are
breaking down the traditional and
static whiskey design language.
Spicy designs are much more
dynamic and edgy.
Spicy flavoured vodka is not new,
but still relevant challenging
consumers in their
taste experience:

20. Crazy flavours
An extreme expression of adding
flavours is shown by the vodka
category, which seems to test the
limits of flavour sophistication with
the most bizarre variants.
In brown spirits, these crazy
flavours are not detected yet.

21. Light spirits
A healthy lifestyle is still very
important for consumers.
Alcoholic beverages are seen as fat
making products, however still
preferred to be enjoyed. Light
variants have been brought into
the market to meet the consumer
wish for low calorie enjoyment.
This trend especially targets
women and is therefore mainly
seen in the white spirits category,
with its more feminine character.
Smirnoff is offering a collection of
lower-cal flavored vodkas under
the new Sorbet Light label:
And Skinnygirl even launched a
low-calories brand:

22. Category crossings (1)
The spirits category is a very
competitive sector. To create a
wider variety of consumption
moments and to possibly attract
new consumers, brands are trying
to get closer to other categories
(for example liqueurs and wine).
ABSOLUT TUNE brings a
combination of a fruit-forward
Sauvignon Blanc and ABSOLUT:
Courvoisier Gold is crafted with a
delicate blend of Moscato wine
from the South of France and
Courvoisier’s cognac.
(Sparkling) wine
Coffee liqueurs

23. Category crossings (2)
Whiskey is moving towards the
vodka category by introducing
colourless variants.
White whiskeys have been a huge
trend for several years, mostly led
by the craft distilling movement.
The small batch distillers couldn't
afford to wait for their whiskeys to
fully mature before selling them,
so they all started selling young,
barely or not-at-all-aged spirits.
The trend became so big that the
major brands couldn't ignore it.
Even Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam
released young/ un-aged whiskeys
at the end of last year, see video:

24. Ready-to-drinks (RTD)
RTD is already an ongoing trend
for several years in the vodka and
rum categories, aiming at
attracting especially younger
consumers.
In the whiskey category, RTD is
currently getting more popular. In
this way distillers try to create a
more easy and accessible drink
allowing consumers to get
acquainted with the whiskey
category.

25. EXTRINSIC DESIGN DRIVERS

26. Current consumers want to experience the
product.
This results in a more 360° approach to
packaging design:
−
collaborations
−
collector’s items
−
printing techniques
−
luminous bottles
−
night life bottles

27. Collaborations (1)
Similar to other drink categories,
spirits brands collaborate with
famous iconic designers to create
special editions.
Diageo has unveiled the Johnnie
Walker Blue Label Limited Edition
Collection designed by Alfred
Dunhill.
ABSOLUT Vodka has teamed up
with Loren Cronk, a denim fashion
designer, in a new collaboration
that celebrates the iconic fabric.

28. Collaborations (2)
Gordon’s has recently unveiled two
limited edition collections which are
the result of collaboration with Sir
Terence Conran.
The first is a celebratory ultrapremium ‘Ten Green Bottles’
series, which features the
designs printed on 100% cotton
fabric and hand-stitched to create
a tight fitting bodice around the
bottle.
The second ‘popular’ and more
affordable collection is called ‘Ten
Green Bottles by Conran’:

29. Collector’s items
White spirit brands are introducing
exclusive limited editions. These
presentations are expensive due to
their materials, finishing, or
because of their famous designers.
Also in the whiskey category
expensive limited editions have
been brought onto the market.
Compared to white spirits, the
product itself makes the price.
These are very old whiskeys which
have become true collector’s items.

30. Unique printing techniques
ABSOLUT engineered a new
production process, which gives the
possibility to create an almost
unlimited amount of different bottle
designs.
Last year this resulted in ABSOLUT
Unique, a range of single oilcoloured designs.
This year ABSOLUT unveiled
ABSOLUT Originality. This collection
features four million individually
designed bottles, each made into a
one-of-a-kind work of art with a drop
of cobalt blue infused into the
molten glass during production:

31. Special inks
Thermal Ink
Jose Cuervo’s Grito De Colores is a
bottle illustrated with thermal inks.
The bottle wraps change colour
from an outline (during room
temperature) to a full bloom colour
version at a colder temperature
(when stored in a freezer and
served).
Glow-in-the-dark ink
Coven and Stolichnaya have
created bottles with glow-in-thedark ink. When the lights go out,
the exclusive bottles release a
pattern which is not seen in
daylight.

32. Illuminated bottles
There are two different ways to
bring light into bottles:
LED light
The bottles come with a single use
LED encased in waterproof plastic,
which will fully light up the bottle
when switched on, for example
award winner Cavôda:
Led system
Using LED technology, an electronic
band of bright blue lights secured to
the upper part of a bottle of Medea
can be programmed to display
scrolling messages, see:

33. Night life presentations
Chivas Regal and Tanqueray have
introduced special bottles for party
nights.
Typically such occasions are
dominated by premium white
spirits such as vodka, tequila, and
champagne, but Chivas Regal
Night Magnum and Tanqueray
Tonight’s Edition can challenge this
competition.

34. SUMMARY

35. INTRINSIC DESIGN DRIVERS
Authentic
Accessible
More premium
Surprising/ challenging
Special/ unique
Lighter
New origin/ heritage
Every/ new moments
Exploring connoisseurs –
Enhance product characteristics
Fun lovers Change/ deny product characteristics

36. EXTRINSIC DESIGN DRIVERS
Experience focused 360° approach

37. You have just been inspired by the
CARTILS|Spiritswatch 2013. Please do contact our
strategic team at CARTILS for more information:
Lianne van den Berg-Weitzel MSc, strategy director
Joske van de Pijpekamp MSc, brand strategist
l.vandenberg@cartils.com
The images used in this presentation are screenshots or other images that
were available on the Internet. As such, the copyright for them is most likely
owned by the company or corporation that produced it. For the composers of
this presentation it was impossible to retrieve all these copyright owners and
ask for permission to use the imagery. Images are used purely to illustrate
this observation of market trends and were taken from publicly accessible
sources.
If any party feels treated disrespectfully or abused by our approach, please
contact us at: strategy@cartils.com