The Connacht Distillery
BRANDING | IDENTITY
with a growing portfolio of craft spirits and whiskey, connacht were looking to elevate their identity to appeal internationally, while remaining grounded in the provincial roots that shape their spirits.
The Connacht Distillery pride themselves on their location: in the heart of County Mayo, their distilling: in traditional copper stills, using ingredients shaped by their coastal terroir, with an innovative and contemporary approach, and finally, their historical connection with America: connected to West-Ireland by the wild Atlantic ocean. We helped Connacht build a brand identity that connected their full portfolio through a story of land, sea and craft.
RE-DESIGNING CONNACHT
Connacht’s mythological sea-serpent represents an exploration of uncharted territories and Irish Celtic roots, both fundamental to the ethos and method behind their unique distilling process. We refined the sea-serpent to become the seal of the distillery, the watchful guardian, woven into every product as a detail to be discovered, embedded with the history and craftsmanship of the brand.
THE STORY OF CONNACHT
The story of Connacht follows the flow of water, from high in the mountains, along rivers and tributaries across the landscape, before joining the crashing waves of the Atlantic. Every product of their Ballina distillery is connected through this journey and ‘Crafted by The Atlantic’. Our word-mark incorporates the texture from the rugged coastal rocks, and topographical map of the route crossing the Atlantic. The rich viridian hue, combines the blues and greens of sea and land in a darker, moodier tone, contrasted with amber-gold details that evoke copper stills and the warm tasting notes of the Irish grain.
LAUNCHING through LOCKDOWN
Unlike a traditional product launch, Covid-19 presented Connacht with the challenge of launching their brand from a distance. In collaboration with Connacht, we created a postal taste-kit of miniatures, that served to introduce the themes behind the brand, and offer a sample of distillations, each with an individual personality that demonstrated the scope of the brand. As a brand conscious of their environmental impact, and looking to preserve the local climate that shapes their spirits, Connacht sought to create a kit, and packaging, as sustainably as possible. Working with minimal, easily recyclable and/or recycled short-run materials and printing processes, we were able to capture the quality and essence of the brand, leaving as smaller footprint as possible.
