Belgian Owl Rebrand

Belgian design studio WeWantMore lifts Belgian craftsmanship to a whisky not quite of this world.

A whisky not quite of this world

Belgian Owl. A Belgian single malt whisky already competing with the very best – awarded ‘Best European Whisky of 2022’ by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. A modern spirit, steeped in tradition, in need of a brand universe that expresses just that. WeWantMore defined this unique spirit as a whisky not quite of this world, reaffirming their place among the best whiskies in the world.

The wisdom of nature distilled

Almost a decade ago, Master Distiller Etienne Bouillon began the epic quest to bend the laws of nature towards the creation of a Belgian whisky. To remain close to the ancient traditions, two Scottish stills were brought to Belgium from the legendary Caperdonich distillery.

Hesbaye. You probably never heard of this tiny region in Belgium, but for Belgian Owl it’s the center of the universe. Because the water that runs through it is pure, the land is unspoiled and the barley divine. The brand story WeWantMore created for Belgian Owl celebrates the spirit of Hesbaye. The unique terroir. Hidden in between the woods and hills. Where the owl lives.

“WeWantMore is much more than a design studio. They really understood what Belgian Owl is all about and combined know-how with meticulous attention to detail while rolling out the full branding and packaging design.” – Etienne Bouillon, Founder and Master Distiller at Belgian Owl

Crafted to perfection

The shape of the bottle takes from the owl’s feathers to create a tactile geometric pattern that breathes sophistication. The pentagon-shaped label connects the 4 lower sides – each representing Belgian Owl’s ambition, process, unique terroir and nature-first approach.

Building a brand universe

While building the Belgian Owl brand, alchemy was WeWantMore’s main design inspiration. This ancient branch of natural philosophy had one goal: to turn lead into gold – a striking analogy for turning barley into whisky. The studio defined Belgian Owl as a brand that is disruptive within its category codes, not as one that mindlessly challenges them.

Extending the range

The brand universe lends itself to a wide variety of range extensions – each with their own characteristics while maintaining brand consistency. Belgian Owl’s New Make for example is a unique spirit with no influence of aging, just the pure essence of the Terroir. When designing the special editions – like the very exclusive Gold Diamond edition – WeWantMore also aimed for this balance between brand consistency and uniqueness.