THE KINSHIP SERIES

MAKING HISTORY FOR ISLAY'S NINTH FAMILY MEMBER

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Brand guidelines, Brand identity, Brand strategy, Packaging, Storytelling,
In 2016, the family behind The Hunter Laing Company broke ground for their distillery on Islay’s Northeast coast. Ardnahoe, would be the ninth to join the whisky island’s family of distilleries.
Now the question for us to answer was: how do we create a relevant product range and build recognition for a new whisky distillery with no whisky?
Ardnahoe Kinship Islay Whisky Collection Packaging

THE ANNUAL ISLAY WHISKY FESTIVAL — THE FÈIS ÌLE — PRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY.

As a new distillery, Ardnahoe did not yet have a Single Malt of their own and wouldn’t for a few more years. 

But as blenders and bottlers by trade, Hunter Laing had casks of whisky patiently waiting to be bottled, many of which from their Islay neighbours.

Ardnahoe Kinship Islay Whisky Collection Packaging

Working together with the family at Hunter Laing, we debuted The Kinship Series; an annual release for the Fèis Ìle of 6 limited-edition bottlings of Islay Single Malt.

Ardnahoe Distillery on Islay

Building on the brand and visual identity we created for Ardnahoe Distillery, the design for each annual release commemorates a new milestone in the distillery’s journey to completion.

Ardnahoe Kinship Islay Whisky Collection brand and Packaging
Ardnahoe Kinship Islay Whisky Collection Packaging
SOLD OUT ANNUAL RELEASES
Ardnahoe Kinship Islay Whisky Collection brand and Packaging

The importance of storytelling is reflected in the packaging design which features unique illustrations and subtle visual cues to tell not only the stories of Ardnahoe, but also those of the island it calls home.

Ardnahoe Kinship Islay Whisky Collection brand and Packaging
Ardnahoe Kinship Islay Whisky Collection brand and Packaging
Ardnahoe Kinship Islay Whisky Collection brand and Packaging

The Kinship Series was created to recognise the affinity among Islay distillers but also to address the practicalities of being a new Single Malt distillery with no product to sell. 

Ardnahoe Distillery now has a unique and relevant whisky range that also works to create awareness for the distillery and its own future Single Malt releases.

Ardnahoe Kinship Islay Whisky Collection brand and Packaging
Now on its fourth annual release, The Kinship has developed alongside the milestones it is commemorating, with each passing year adding a new layer of history and complexity to both the design and the stories being told.