This is particularly important with reference to packaging since this is an essential tool that is used in communicating the image of the brand in the market especially where the product is a premium one such as whisky. By use of colors, embossments and other features on the packaging, the shape of the packaging, materials used and other features creates an image to the consumer about the quality of the whisky before they actually twist the cap of the bottle. When it comes to the packaging of premium whisky brands, positioned in a highly saturated market, it can play the role of a crucial defining element contributing to the creation of brand identity.

While economies whiskies assign simple glass bottles and plastic screw caps to their products, special whiskies target multi-sensory packaging appeals with greater spending. In the process of breaking the premium whisky, the initial step is the packaging that is normally a box or a tube. Premium boxes at times come with thick cardstock paper or embossed and debossed designs, magnetic closure in most of the cases and other such features.

The whisky is packed in a box, the bottle itself is placed in the box and may be sealed with a real cork and at times comes covered with tissue paper. The consumer gets the tactile sense of the glass material and the feel of the shape of the bottle. Such aspects as the triangular or the shape of a bottle in the form of an orbital is associated with the concept of something unique and extraordinary. Logos and lettering can either be etched or screen-printed to add interest while the use of company colors and crests in the packaging also contributes to the visual interest.

Each of these multisensory packaging elements therefore communicates to the consumer that, this is a whiskey made with a lot of attention, a whiskey for a special occasion …a whiskey that deserves the high price. It effectively raises the bar for the taste by the time one gets to the liquid content of the bottle.

The shape of the bottles and the quality of the glass used in the bottles also play important roles in the appeal of the product.

Another factor that has a lot to do with brand image is the type of the glass bottle of that Specific brand. Some of the higher-end whisky manufacturers prefer using glass that is not clear but rather a dark-tinted one to ensure that the liquor is shielded from any possible contact with light while at the same time emphasizing on the use of strong color tones in the labels. Unique bottle shapes give the brand an edge in terms of shelf appeal in liquor stores with a high density of competitors’ products.

Other such shapes of this type of bottle are the round like shape of the Glencairn cut crystal decanter, triangular shape of Oban 14 year and the round on the outer side and wide at the bottom Aberlour A’bunadh. The thickness and quality of the glass also communicate a message – thin and cheap glasses to the touch indicate that the wine is of a lower class, while thick and heavier glasses convey a message of affluence. Some brands have also opted to make embossed designs on the bottles in order to create some sort of exclusivity.

Label Design Elements

In other words, a whisky’s label is as if it is the front cover of the magazine – it is the brand’s chance to inform at first sight. Luxury brands, therefore, retain the typical formats of labels but create them out of more expensive papers or metallic foils. This includes the technique of embossing and foil stamping to provide extra dimension to the packaging.

To further varying degree, the chosen colors for labels, logos and lettering create a good base for the product identity. Celebrating any medals attained at spirits competitions is useful and showcasing them adds credibility. Lastly, for the whiskies that are aged for many years, the labeling use the number of years to draw attention to as a premium brand aged spirit. Some of these are very small graphical elements like the marquees that resemble whiskey barrels or key branding that indicate heritage to the consumer.

Cork and Closure

Plastic screw caps or synthetic corks can be used for the mass whiskies with affordable prices, while high-end brands purchase natural cork closets that are cut from real cork oak trees. Real cork conveys quality and naturalness to the consumer and shows that the products can only be of the highest quality. Other finishes such as wax sealing also guarantee the closure in a more fancy and premium manner. In a few cases, brands even use glass stoppers to provide a sense of exquisiteness for special limited edition or for extraordinarily aged whiskies.

The act of popping the cork or smashing a wax seal has a ritual and culture to it – it sets up the right mood before even enjoying the whisky inside. Getting hold of quality corks and closures is one of the ways through which premium brands can begin the process of delivering enjoyable drinking experience right from the initial phase of opening the bottle.

This is why packaging is such an important element of the brand story: it is the final act, the last touch that seals the deal.

Starting from the outer packaging and moving inside the bottle, even the label and the closure system of the premium whisky packaging requires a perfect sensory experience as it is synonymous to the whisky itself. In the case of aspirational brands, which are striving to enter the industry and reach the consumers who will become their regular clientele, considered branding does not stop at the consideration of taste – it embraces all aspects defining how the whisky is viewed.

As the market gets crowded by the day with new players entering the market through new distillery start-ups, those who are willing to invest in carving out an identity for the brand from the packaging perspective will certainly gain substantially. Technically, when the cost of automation enables low-volume whiskies to meet standards of taste, packaging may be the only remaining means through which the better whiskies may be used to convey their true value and quality. Presentation is the anticipation for the drinking that is set to commence afterwards.