The Gild

Designed by Pearlfisher, United Kingdom.

Pearlfisher London creates new whisky brand – The Gild – for Lucky Spirits Ltd.

Pearlfisher London has been working with Lucky Spirits Ltd. to create a new standout whisky brand – The Gild – for the Russian market and beyond. The brand creation included strategy, brand identity, naming, brand language and tone of voice, structure and graphics.

Cognac and vodka are increasingly perceived as ‘old school’ with whisky increasingly being picked up by the young, social drinker in Russia. The growth in whisky consumption signifies its perception as different, progressive and Western, a trend illustrated by a new interest in London and its chic urban aesthetic.

Pearlfisher’s task was to create a contemporary and authentic challenger brand that would help make the world of whisky accessible. The new whisky brand needed to be authentic, believable and Western – not explicitly Russian – but with a universal appeal to resonate with the target Russian consumer, whilst leaving further space for growth.

Rory Fegan, Senior Strategist at Pearlfisher describes how naming and tone of voice made the world of whisky appealing to the target Russian consumer, “The bottle states that the whisky is ‘conceived in London, born in Scotland’ to establish the Western heritage and desirable credentials that the primary Russian audience is seeking. The name refers back to the guilds of London – the masters and the craftsmen – but has a double meaning with ‘gild’ also referring to the gold standard.

Pearlfisher Creative Director, Sarah Cattle, describes the design process “The identity and graphics are bold and contemporary yet inspired by the letterpress which reflects a level of craftsmanship, clarity and refinement.

The blue dot can be seen as stamp of the guild but, essentially, adds to the brand equity as a recognisable and ownable signpost for the whisky community – and will act as a brand and marketing device in its own right as people learn to look for it. To complement this we have created an exciting and enticing back of pack story which can also be used as part of
the brand’s wider marketing initiatives.”

Anton Plekhov from Lucky Spirits Ltd., commented, “We spotted a niche in the market to target the 18-25 year-old whisky drinker with a brand specifically designed for to compliment their needs and lifestyle. The new brand and packaging Pearlfisher designed challenges the category standards and creates a new language for the whisky market. We are very excited about this launch.”