Individuals say that you simply shouldn’t choose a guide by its cowl, however to be trustworthy, when looking for whisky, or certainly, any tipple for that matter, have you ever ever been tempted by a bottle purely as a result of it had a label that you simply preferred the look of?
Now, full disclosure, I personally have been responsible of this previously. While purchasing for whisky, and different spirits actually, I’ve bought bottles purely as a result of they’d eye-catching labels and logos that I preferred the look of. And that, girls and gents, is the facility of promoting.
Whereas a label, brand, or packaging normally doesn’t have an effect on a whisky’s flavour, it might alter our notion of the whisky, plus it might catch our eye and draw us in to start with. Take it from us, our labelling is a outstanding a part of our advertising and marketing and promoting and it’s one thing we take very significantly right here at Nice Drams.
However why are labels so essential and simply how massive of a job do they play within the whisky trade? Properly, that’s what we’re going to search out out proper now.
A Fast Historical past of Whisky Manufacturers and Logos
Whereas issues are completely different abroad, for the aim of transparency, I’m going to stay with UK legal guidelines, guidelines, and rules in relation to whisky labels and branding normally.
1000’s of years in the past, when whisky was offered in barrels and some other appropriate containers the distillers may discover, there was no such factor as whisky branding or logos. Nevertheless, all that modified when a brand new regulation permitted Scotland to promote whisky to England through bottles, versus in wood casks.
Enterprising retailers noticed a gap available in the market and determined to advertise their very personal distinctive blends of whisky. To assist their blends stand out, they’d create pictures or logos and fasten these to their bottles.
Because the many years handed by, the world grew to become extra industrialised, and printing tech started to advance. Within the late Eighteen Eighties wide-scale promoting was adopted. The concept was to make their whisky stand out and look interesting. Many retailers determined to play on whisky’s roots and would give you imagery synonymous with Scotland, akin to Highland Stags, mountains and glens, rugged coastlines, bagpipes, tartan designs, and people kinds of issues. They’d additionally use phrases akin to ‘particular’ and ‘best’ to assist the whisky actually leap out at individuals and make it sound extra essential and splendid.
Greater than a century later, and little has modified. Whisky producers nonetheless see the massive potential in labelling and branding and that isn’t going to vary anytime quickly.
Eye-Catching Designs
Right this moment, there’s lots to be mentioned for advertising and marketing and promoting. Actually, they’re elementary elements of any enterprise.
You may inform lots a few whisky by its label. Single malt for instance, is usually seen as a luxurious product and is positioned within the luxurious items sector of the market consequently. The label not solely displays this, however may also help to boost our interpretations of whisky within the first place. A single malt with a label that includes an intricate design with eye-catching colors, patterns, and slogans is extra more likely to stand out than a dram with a plain and tired-looking label.
Whisky labels and logos not solely want to attract new consumers in, additionally they must be straightforward to identify in order that whisky drinkers can simply determine their favorite dram on the shelf and put it of their purchasing basket earlier than they’ve the possibility to note the competitors.
Manufacturers such Glenfiddich and The Dalmore for instance, are immediately recognisable due to their use of a stag’s head as their major brand. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey stands out due to its black and white label. Even Johnnie Walker instantly catches your eye due to the label’s diagonal place on the bottle, slightly than it simply being caught on straight.
The concept is to catch the shopper’s eye and draw them in, and an amazing label and beautiful packaging can definitely try this.
Authorized Necessities and Helpful Data
In fact, once you do take a look at the label of your favorite dram earlier than you pour your self a glass, you’ll discover all method of information on there, telling you extra in regards to the whisky you’re about to get pleasure from.
Legally, in response to Regulation 8 of the 2009 Scotch Whisky Affiliation, each Scotch whisky should legally bear on the entrance of the bottle, together with wherever else on the packaging, the class during which the Scotch belongs to, I.E ‘Single-Malt Scotch Whisky’, ‘Blended Scotch Whisky’, or ‘Blended Grain Scotch Whisky’.
The one different phrases which can be added to the class description of the whisky is the title of the area the whisky was produced in. So, for instance, whether it is an Islay single-malt Scotch whisky, the label may state ‘Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky’, assuming your entire distillation was carried out in that area.
These are authorized necessities and intentionally falsely promoting a whisky as belonging to classes for which it doesn’t belong is a prison offence and will lead to a hefty positive, the specter of closure, and authorized points too. Regulation 9 deems it unlawful for producers to intentionally deceive most of the people.
Additionally on the label, it’s necessary to together with the ABV (Alcohol by Quantity) share, plus you’ll discover issues akin to age statements, distillation dates, bottling dates, the title and deal with of the distillery or bottler, cask particulars, and different helpful data in regards to the whisky, akin to which quantity the bottle is, and what number of have been produced.
Mainly, the label tells you all the things you could know in regards to the whisky, and allows you to actually get to comprehend it earlier than you get pleasure from it.
In the event you’d wish to be taught extra about your favorite whiskies, or seize your self a dram or two on the similar time, head on over to GreatDrams.com and try what we’ve got to supply.
With a big number of limited-edition and award-winning whisky, in addition to heaps of whisky data on our weblog, it’s the proper spot for any whisky lovers on the market.
