Sui Generis
What we did
- Copywriting
- Illustration
- Naming
- Print Collateral
- Visual Identity
The American whiskey market is vibrant and highly competitive. Walk into any liquor store and you’ll find designs ranging from brilliant to dull, and more than a few confounding visual puzzles that can make you feel hungover before you take your first sip. Ironically, the quality of many of these spirits is virtually identical, as the bulk of them are owned by the same holding company, and manufactured at the same facility, with the same ingredients.
Sui Generis is a relative newcomer to the market. Their focus is on carefully crafted, small-batch releases of infused whiskeys, using natural ingredients like blueberries and apples, rather than syrups and flavoring agents.
Parisleaf was approached by David Molyneaux, the brain behind the whiskey when it was just an idea that had yet to be distilled. He needed a visual identity and packaging that would be as unusual as his whiskeys.
We plunged into discovery, interviewing bartenders, whiskey drinkers both seasoned and green, liquor store employees, distillers, and distributors. We visited high-end whiskey bars, toured distilleries, visited liquor stores, studied whiskey websites and packaging, and read whiskey articles written by people from outside the industry norms.
These explorations set the stage for a distinctive brand narrative and visual identity. We developed names for each recipe and wrote whimsical stories that brought them to life. An unconventional bottle shape was chosen to elevate shelf presence and feel comfortable in a bartender’s hand. And we commissioned an illustrator to create richly-textured illustrations of the ingredients in every bottle.
