Crafted by the Elements

Creative Agency: Davis
Design Director: Erick Nielsen
Creative Director: Mark Roberts
Account Director: Brian Tangney
Project Type: Produced, Commercial Work
Client: Corby Spirit and Wine Limited
Location: Mississauga, Canada
Packaging Contents: Whisky
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Glass Bottle; Wood label; Copper label

Pike Creek 21-year-old whisky and Lot 40 Cask Strength are two new releases from Corby Spirit and Wine Limited as part of their Northern Border Collection. With the goal to showcase the rich quality and craftsmanship of Canadian whisky, these limited edition releases are an ultra-premium offering for two already superb whiskies.

Corby engaged Davis, a branding and design agency in Toronto’s GTA region, to design these brands.

The innovative label substrates bring forward cues to the distillation process of these rare releases. Lot 40 is crafted in small batches using rye grain in a single copper pot still and aged in virgin oak barrels. The distinct copper label creates an emotive response from loyal Lot 40 enthusiasts. Likewise, the real wood grain of Pike Creek’s label harkens back to the barrels used to age this fine whisky. Each grain is different, from bottle to bottle, reinforcing the rarity of this 21-year-old whisky.

With only 4,810 bottles of Lot 40 and 3,900 bottles of Pike Creek available for purchase, the special release design echoes the high quality and exclusivity of the whisky.

What’s Unique?
The unique label substrates elevate these limited edition releases and cue the craftsmanship involved in the design. The wood grain of the label for Pike Creek 21-year-old whisky and the copper label for Lot 40 Cask Strength presented challenges in making sure that labels could be properly applied to the round glass bottles, requiring a harsh twist. Collaboration between all teams helped to achieve a beautiful end result.