Beefeater London Dry gin bottle redesigned

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, has redesigned its leading London Dry gin brand, Beefeater, to reinforce its credentials as an authentic product of London.

Featuring a hand drawn map of the British capital, the bottle’s new look represents the story of London inside and out, with the same renowned gin inside and the capital’s distinctive landmarks visible on the outside. The new pack design achieves an effective depth of imagery through a bird’s eye view of London – illustrated in classic Beefeater red – that sits on the back of the bottle, acting as a backdrop to the Yeoman and logo in the foreground. The stylised map of London captures the rich tapestry of the capital from the viewpoint of Tower Bridge, with other iconic landmarks drawing attention across the background.

The iconic figure of the Yeoman is positioned commandingly above the Beefeater logo.  James Burrough’s signature has been introduced on the front label to mark the continued commitment to excellence of today’s gin, which is made using his original recipe from Beefeater’s foundation in the 19th century. This recipe continues to make Beefeater the ‘world’s most awarded gin’, as indicated on the front of the new bottle.

Beefeater undertook extensive consumer research to inform the restage of the London Dry Gin bottle, polling in several key markets (including Spain and the US) to devise a new bottle image. Beefeater’s audience found the new pack design to be a strong evolution of the brand’s dynamic visual identity while retaining the familiar Beefeater look and premium feel.

Eric Sampers, Beefeater’s global brand director, comments: “I am thrilled to be working on such a fantastic brand. Beefeater London Dry is a bold, creative gin underpinned by tradition, with a huge amount of respect from the trade and consumers. The premium gin category is booming, which makes the job even more exciting, and the redesign of the Beefeater London Dry bottle will ensure that our premium expression is leading the surge of interest in the category. We’re sure that the new design will encourage consumers to discover the unique qualities that both London and Beefeater share.

“The bottle reflects the changing state of London, perfectly illustrating the mix of tradition and dynamism found in both London and Beefeater. The gin has of course remained the same, as it has done since our founder James Burrough created the original recipe. After all, we’re the most awarded gin in the world – why would we change it?”

The new Beefeater London Dry Gin bottle will be rolling out globally from June with the same RRP of £17.50 or local equivalent per 70cl bottle.

5 July 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor