A case study in brand and label design: how Blackwoods spirits rediscovered their authentic Scottish accent

The Blackwoods spirits label design is inspired by the landscape surrounding their Scottish distillery, and the outstanding botanicals on their doorstep.

Our brief from Distil was to audit their brand and market positioning, and to add differentiation from their competitors in order to strengthen and widen their customer appeal.

The core Blackwoods gin is a classic London Dry gin with a bright citrus twist, with the addition of unique Scottish botanicals to represent the year in which it's made.

While designing the spirit label, we also needed to incorporate a second gin and vodka that worked cohesively as a range, while having stand-out appeal in their respective categories.

Our brand design team focussed on Blackwood’s Scottish heritage and character – authentic, natural and classic, but with a contemporary edge.

The use of teal, a bright and recognisable accent colour, evokes the distillery’s coastal origins. Copper was used to add premium detailing and warmth.

A darker tone of teal was used for the Navy Strength Gin and a larger copper section (showing the alcohol strength) was added to aid clarity within the gin category for consumers.

The Premium Grain Vodka has a white label but incorporates teal and copper detailing, and the distinctive teal green bottle to connect it with the gins.