Ariki Gin

Design: Redfire
Creative & Strategic Director: Colin Downing
Designer: Natasha Alimova
Retouching: Laia Pampalona
Illustrator: Anna Crichton
Photography: Charles Mackenzie
Stylist: Marie Low
Digital Designer: Lans Jiang
Retouching: Stephen Myers
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Client: Ariki Spirit Co.
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Packaging Contents: Gin, Alcohol
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Glass Bottle, Cardboard Tube, Paper Labels
Printing Process: Offset Printing, Gold Foiling, UV Embossing

Ariki Gin is an ultra premium full bodied gin made with amazing New Zealand and Pacific Island botanicals. These include New Zealand Manuka Flower, Rarotongan Vanilla and Tongan Coconut.

The name Ariki, meaning “royalty, paramount chief, high chief” drove the brand and design direction and served as the fulcrum for launching a Gin with a Pacific Island positioning in the global marketplace.

Our Thinking:
Given the plethora of Gins on the market and being a boutique independent brand, we took a challenger brand approach against the behemoths and positioned Ariki in the niche ultra premium spirits sector.

Our Approach:
Our challenger approach meant every brand touch point had to deliver some form of story telling – from the bottle and the tube packaging, through to the shipper boxes. Our strategy determined the visual manifestation of the brand was illustrative, so we choose to collaborate with renowned international artist Anna Crichton, to craft the perfect Ariki to be used as a hero on all touch points.

Our Solution:
Our purposeful strong Ariki illustration reflects through the bottle on a reverse printed label which is highlighted as light hits from different angles – offering new perspectives and real interest. The cylinder offered us the same 3 dimensional interaction we wanted our packs to deliver – and enhancing Ariki’s ultra premium positioning. The typography is bold in the naming conventions with ornamental elements giving connection with our Pacific Island proposition.

The packaging design is a manifestation of the brand’s core beliefs – clean, simple and elegant design in the pursuit of perfection.

What’s Unique?
The bottle labels are printed two sides to reflect the Ariki into the Gin giving it unique standout on shelf and adding a multi- dimensional aspect to our design. This is then carried forward with the round cylindrical outer packaging tube – again providing an 2 dimensional aspect and supports the Ultra Premium – Luxury” positioning.