In collaboration with NiceTouch, I designed a new brand identity and packaging for Sabbatical, one that embodies the team's innovative spirit and distances itself from the competition, particularly in a category of ubiquitous machismo and manufactured heritage.
The ethos of the new branding is exemplified in its rigid but expansive labeling system with an instantly recognizable silhouette, allowing the distillers plenty of room to experiment without disrupting the cohesion of the products on shelf. We eliminated superfluous design flourishes and established an underlying grid, refocusing on what matters: the spirits themselves. We developed a unique layering technique for said labels, with an embossed brand label atop the informational bottom label, inspired by the informal tape labels found on the distillery floor. In the process, we deconstruct a common, historic beverage label design element - the diagonal line - reclaiming it as a symbol of the brand's unconventionality and adding a premium, tactile element to every bottle.
Client: Sabbatical
NiceTouch Team: Peter Giese, Ashley Taylor Adams, Tyler Baumgartner, Donna Truong
Photography: Rachel Rinehart
Styling: Leah Parks