Knorhoek Gin

Design: Navy Creative
Location: South Africa
Project Type: Produced
Client: Knorhoek
Product Launch Location: Global
Packaging Contents: Gin
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Glass
Printing Process: Screenprint on glass and Vinyl Label Print

The team at Navy Creative were tasked to design packaging for Knorhoek’s new gin range. Knorhoek is a well-known wine estate based in South Africa’s famous Stellenbosch wine region, located just outside of Cape Town. Given the success of the gin market, and its continued growth within South Africa (and aboard), Knorhoek looked to broaden their alcohol offering, launching two branded gins, namely: Knorhoek (Clear) Gin, and Knorhoek Pink Gin. Both gins were designed for the local market, targeting women (aged 25+) with an LSM of 7+, with the potential to export to international markets.

The brief called for unique eye-catching bottle label designs that would stand apart from the sea of craft gins that already flood the market. Given the volume of for maximum standout the team opted for a combination of double-sided print labels as well as screen printing direct on to glass. The label, which covers two thirds of the bottle, creates a ‘window’ which draws the consumer in, and further enhanced by the refracted botanical pattern that is printed on the reverse of the label. The refracted pattern fills the bottle with a myriad of colours and shapes, making them stand out on shelf. The screen print of the logo on the front of each bottle also allowed for a generic bottle finish that could be repurposed for both gins, thereby reducing production costs while keeping with the integrity of the design. Given that the gins are infused with botanicals sourced from the local region, the design was inspired by the landscape, incorporating stylized illustrations of indigenous fynbos for a unique look and feel.

Unlike traditional fynbos illustrations, the team opted for a more stylised reinterpretation of the botanicals, using vibrant colour-ways for added interest and appeal. The strategic colour choice also served as visual cues to differentiate each of the gins on shelf, allowing for easy recognition. Positioned as a premium craft gin brand, the team added a neck label to finish the design with an engraved wooden stopper to add to the small batch artisan look and feel.

The designs far exceeded client expectations. Not only was the team able to deliver within budget, they kept to the integrity of the design. Since launching, the brand has grown from strength to strength, occupying the shelves of leading alcohol distributors, and has since become the preferred gin of choice for both on and off site consumption. The designs also brought originality to the craft gin sector, using vibrant colour-ways as opposed to the typical minimal and neutral design aesthetic that typically dominates the craft gin sector. This paired well with the context in which the gins were launched, adding a more positive and upbeat attitude in the context of Covid-19 restrictions.

On the 19th May 2021, both Gin designs won Gold in the International Transform Awards held in Dubai for Best Visual Identity in the Food and Beverage Sector.