Star of Bombay

Star of Bombay™, the super premium jewel in the Bombay Sapphire® crown

Bacardi® owned Bombay Sapphire have entered the super premium gin market with the launch of Star of Bombay, an exquisite slow distilled gin with bergamot orange peel from Calabria in southern Italy and ambrette seeds from Ecuador added to work in harmony with the Bombay Sapphire signature botanicals. Strategic brand design agency Webb deVlam created the bottle and identity for this exceptional new gin.

An essential part of this work was to develop a strategic positioning to differentiate the new offer from its competitors and to position it appropriately against the other gins in the Bombay portfolio.

The inspiration for the superior blend gin was the unique gem that appears beneath Queen Victoria on the Bombay Sapphire label. The one-of-a-kind jewel is the 60-carat ‘Star of Bombay’ sapphire discovered in Sri Lanka and given to silent movie star Mary Pickford by her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.

The sapphire gem from the master brand logo has been given solo billing on the front of the new bottle. The preciousness and rarity of the gem reflects the slow distilled and carefully crafted gin inside. The new design uses the iconic blue brand colour creating this ultimate expression.
Facets, inspired by those in the sapphire, play an important role in the brand aesthetic and have been adapted to perfectly express the craftsmanship of the product – the view through the glass appears as an endless reflection in a series of archways which act as an invitation to discover the refined world of crafted gin.

John-Paul Hunter, Creative Director of Webb deVlam comments, “We have crafted the aesthetic of the Bombay Sapphire brand for many years. Understanding the brand portfolio, its business and consumers has enabled us to bring to life a new super premium gin for today’s modern epicureans.”

Star of Bombay was launched in global travel retail in Sydney, Australia and influential food halls in the UK from May.