Wanderin’ Rogue: Whiskey for Restless Souls

Australian Producer, Pinnacle Drinks, came to creative agency, DAf with a rebranding project– to rethink an existing Tennessee whiskey sold in the Australian market. The task required the development of naming, storytelling, and label design that could communicate the history of whiskey production while captivating potential customers.

Firstly, DAf looked to the Lincoln County Process used in the creation of this particular whiskey. Wanderin’ Rogue uses sugar maple charcoal chips to give the liquor a smokey taste. This historical process inspired the imagery of wooden casks that were incorporated into the label.

Exploring the history of Tennessee brought forth stories of the interesting characters who once journeyed around this state and further connected the project to the world of 1800s train travel. This led to the illustration of the train on the label and old saloon-style typography and flourishes. It also inspired the naming and storytelling. We imagined Wanderin’ Rogue as a restless, traveling soul making his way across Tennessee. This whiskey is dedicated to him and all of the other restless souls out there.

The label itself consists of a dark navy blue square with scalloped edges. The name appears in a large off-white type with turquoise highlights and gold accents. Gold foil repeats throughout the label in the flourishes and text. A small rectangle at the bottom of the label communicates more to the consumer about the whiskey making process, while the side of the label shares the story of the Wanderin’ Rogue, and the back of the label shares mandatory Australian health messaging. The closure features a bright turquoise strip label that goes over the capsule.