GoodWill Gin

Agency: MadeBrave
Creative Director: Steven Hadden
Graphic Designer: Emma Stewart
Copy Writer: Brian McKay
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Client: GlenWyvis Distillery
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Packaging Contents: Gin
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Glass Bottle, paper, cork
Printing Process: Foil Stamping, Digital Printing

The Brief
In 2018 GlenWyvis, the first 100% community-owned and fully sustainable distillery, had reached a point where they needed a rebrand. Established in 2015, only a year later they had raised a total of £2.6 million from some 2,200 investors. After having built and finished the distillery, production had started on their whisky and gin.

This wonderful brand project allowed us to create a brand for the gin — including naming, copy, design and sourcing of bottle, label and cork — and also, develop a brand identity for GlenWyvis Distillery, culminating in the launch of a new website.

The Background
After conducting a brand foundations workshop with the GlenWyvis team, we created a brand purpose, vision, values, personality and tone of voice for them. It was clear from the start that the gin brand needed its own name, GlenWyvis being more suitable for the whisky it will release in the future.

Using the ethos and spirit of the GlenWyvis distillery as our inspiration, we named the gin GoodWill. Not only do the ‘G’ and ‘W’ mirror that of GlenWyvis, but also it reflects the community aspect that is so integral to the distillery — sharing a wee drink with friends and family. The on-bottle story further explains our thinking:

• Crafted to unite. Made to share
• Together we will unite people.
• We will change lives.
• Together we will create a lasting legacy.
• We will build a better world.
• Join us and share the GoodWill.

This story and the brand foundations created in partnership with GlenWyivs then acted as the basis for the design of the bottle.

The Design
Nestled beneath the sprawling mass of Ben Wyvis Mountain in the Scottish Highlands, the GlenWyvis distillery in it both an awe-inspiring and hauntingly beautiful setting. The yellows and browns of the rolling hills and the reds and greens of the dense woodland — all framed by the whites, greys and blacks of the imposing mountain range. But it was the vibrant colour of the local heather, a wild and fierce purple, which captured our imagination.

And so we use purple as the brand colour of the GoodWill gin, reflecting not only the local area but also, it’s Scottish heritage. But the inspiration of the setting didn’t stop there.

Could we capture the flowing curves and lines of the hills and mountains in the bottle itself? It was challenge we readily accepted, which resulted in using a bespoke bottle design that echoes the rolling hills where the distillery is located in the glen in front of Ben Wyvis.

The gin is lovingly handcrafted, from sifting the ingredients through to the bottling. Wanting to capture this feel, we used a varnish to apply the illustrations, giving anyone a tactile experience when they pick up a bottle and run their hands over it. The copper inlaid throughout, to reflect the copper gin stills, also help to pick up and reflect the light.

We created a ‘GW monogram to use as part of the design, giving it a modern and refined approach, befitting for such a new distillery. All of the separate elements from the story, the community, the shareholders, the sustainability element, the local area, are all reflected in this design. The cut within the letter ‘W’ represents the Glen that the distillery sits in as well as the mountain behind.

The Outcome
Launched to much fanfare from communities near and far, this brand project has allowed GlenWyvis to capitalise on their unique background and make their mark in an ultra competitive market. And so GlenWyvis shared a little GoodWill with the world.