The Duppy Share Spiced

Design: B&B Studio
Location: United Kingdom
Project Type: Produced
Client: The Duppy Share
Product Launch Location: United Kingdom
Packaging Contents: Rum
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Glass bottle

The Duppy Share, the UK’s #1 selling premium rum brand has announced the launch of The Duppy Share Spiced in the UK, with design by branding agency B&B studio.

The Duppy Share Spiced is the brand’s first new line extension following B&B’s creation of The Duppy Share brand in 2015. The new spiced variant builds on B&B’s original identity for The Duppy Share Aged which enabled the brand to both find market share and re-shape the long-established rum category. It’s a thriving sector – rum sales in the UK hit the £1 billion mark in 2018, with the WSTA* citing consumers’ interest in craft rum as a cause for the rise.

The resulting work is an example of how effective design for a brand extension can retain and empower the story behind the original identity, whilst standing strong as a product in its own right.

Making Mischief
The Duppy Share Spiced has been developed with award-winning drinks consultant Robin Honhold (Mr Lyan Studio) and introduces pineapple, kola nut, and Caribbean spices, to create a spicier partner to The Duppy Share Aged. The result is a versatile craft rum for cocktails and to pair with mixers.
Founder of The Duppy Share, George Frost says “We wanted to diversify our appeal to reach a younger consumer, and asked B&B to create a new brand strategy and design to make our new Spiced variant feel accessible and relevant to partygoers and social drinkers”

To achieve this, B&B focused on the element of mischief – the core of The Duppy Share brand.

Brand consistency
Inspired by Caribbean folklore, The Duppy Share Aged design tells the story of duppies emerging at night to steal the best of the rum from each barrel as it ages. The Duppy Share Spiced goes a step further, depicting a duppy dancing as it enjoys the rum. Placed front-of-pack, the illustrative design brings instant shelf stand-out and tells the brand story, building its heritage in a clear and immediate way.

The eye is drawn to this shape-shifting creature with its crocodile head and feathered legs, dancing playfully across the bottle. In the background, visual elements from the original Duppy Share Aged design are subtly woven in: the Caribbean landscape, the sun, and the gold and orange colour palette. Specifically designed with the on-trade in mind, The Duppy Share Spiced is presented in a thinner bottle with a longer neck, making it easier for bartenders to work with behind a busy bar. However, the distinctive shouldered bottle-shape remains as another visual parallel between The Duppy Share Spiced and the original Duppy Share Aged design.

George Frost says: “Following the success of our initial launch it was a no-brainer to work with the team at B&B again. Putting the focus on the exuberant nature of drinking rum, the team has created a design that stays true to the overarching brand identity, whilst introducing an immediately impactful bottle through a visual representation of Duppy. We think people are going to love this new bottle almost as much as they’re going to love our new rum.”

The Duppy Share Spiced is available exclusively from Selfridges and via www.theduppyshare.com for £24 RRP.

*Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA)

What’s Unique?
B&B’s creative partner Shaun Bowen says: “With the introduction of Spiced we wanted to establish a clear point of difference through a shift in how the brand tells its story through design. We also introduced a UV element to the packaging, enabling the bottle to come alive at night – just as the mischievous Duppy comes out and dances in the moonlight.”