PROCESS BOOK
MEDICINAL WHISKEY Diving into my creative process in developing the 27 distillery brand and packaging system from research, visual exploration refinement and brand presence.
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PRO H I B ITI O N ’ S LIT TLE KN OWN LO O PH O LE
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D E VELO PI N G A B R AN D T H AT C E L E B R AT E S T H E 1 0 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y O F PROHIBITION Many distilleries survived prohibition by being granted Medicinal license. Your doctor could literally prescribe you whiskey.
RESEARCH W H AT I S M E D I C I N A L W H I S K E Y ? • Medicinal Whiskey was prescribed at 1pint of whiskey for every 10 days. • No person could be prescribed more than 3 times a month. • The AMA listed a total of 27 ailments in which alcohol could be prescribed for including: cancer, diabetes, pneumonia, high blood pressure, migraines... • $3 to get a prescription and $3 to get it filled. $6 = $80 in todays money. • Medicinal Whiskey was generally a Rye whiskey made in Northern states. Its known to have spicy and fruity notes as opposed to the more popular Bourbon. • Pharmacy businesses boomed from the sale of medicinal whiskeys. Walgreens went from 20 stores to 525 stores in10 years of prohibition. • Doctors and pharmacists lined their pockets and many ended up in jail.
HISTORIC EX AM PLES OF M EDICINAL WHISKEY
Original whiskey prescription
POSITIONING • High price point novelty alcohol product. That celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Prohibition of Alcohol in the US. • It is primarily about the historical experience and not the benefits of the product.
AU D I EN CE • 30-55 year old • Whiskey connoisseur • History Buff • Disposable income to spend on a higher price point novelty product. • Enjoys products for the experience or significance not just for preference or quality or taste.
Typical whiskey consumer as well as competing products that he might have in his collection.
WORD BAN K • Spiritous liquor
• Prohibition
• Distillery
• One pint
• 13 year ban
• Moonshine
• Ten Days
• Saloon Speakeasy
• Blind Pig
• Pharmacy
• Wet vs Dry
• Winston Churchill
• Drug Store
• Rye
• 100 proof
• Drugist
• Doctor’s Orders
• Divided
• Pharmacist
• 100 Years
• Treatment
• Bootlegger
• 6 million prescribed
• Prescription
• Racket
• C. W. Hirsch Reserve
• Physician
• Bribe
• USA
• Ancient Therapy
• European
• Kentucky
• Volstead Act
• 3 pints a month
• Walgreens
• 18th Amendment
• Teetotaler
• Dram
• George Remus
• Temperance
• Daff
• King Bootlegger
• Bottled in Bond
• Doubler
• The Circle
• Tax Stamp
• Proof
• Spiritus Frumenti
• Al Capone
• Peat
• Spirits of Grain
• Real Mccoy
• Pot Still
• 27 ailments
• Corn mash
• Slainte
• Loophole
• Straight Rye
• Thumber
• Corruption
• Gatsby
• Wort
• Ban
• Roaring 20s
• Worm
FINDING THE INTERSECTION OF WHISKEY AND PROHIBITION
NAMING OPTIONS • Prescription Distillery
• Every 10 days
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• Roaring Reserve
27 Distillery
• Volstead Reserve
• 10 Days
• Drug Store Distillery
• Speakeasy Pharmacy
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• Loophole Liquors •
13 Year Ban
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The Circle
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Amendment 18
• Dry Rye • Ancient Therapy • Drug Store Liquors • Doctor’s Orders • Spiritus •
Spiritus Frumenti
• Pharmacy Whiskey • Doctor’s Whiskey •
Volstead Liquor
• Prohibition Distillery
Bond Reserve
• Lawful Distillers • Teetotaler Distillers • Century Reserve • Medicinal Reserve • Pharmaceutical • Prescribed • Ruse Distillery • Masquerade
WHY 27? • The AMA listed a total of 27 ailments in which alcohol could be prescribed for including: cancer, diabetes, pneumonia, high blood pressure, migraines... • I wanted the brand sound instantly recognizable. • To not make the Prohibition connection so completely obvious. • Numbers have a lot of different meanings to everyone and using the number 27, I could create a meaning.
M O O D I N S P I R AT I O N
H O MAG E CRAFTSMAN D E C O R AT I V E REFINED TYPOGRAPHIC
L O G O E X P L O R AT I O N Getting to the right 27
My logo process is an iterative one. Starting with a sketch in my notebook, I make my onto Illustrator and refine, refine, refine. Constantly adapting a mark, making minor changes and going back. Trying to get to the perfect logo.
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27 27
FI NAL LO G O
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Getting to the right 27
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N A E E R G E D ° 7 2
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MEANS Four different types of Whisky Kentucky Bourbon Pure Rye Single Malt White Lightning Moonshine Box that the whiskey comes in. A ds to the user experience and novelty of the product. Raises price point. Speakeasy Pharmacy exhibit model
L A B E L E X P L O R AT I O N Finding the right voice.
100 IC
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WHISKEY
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27 Distillery has unlocked the secret spirits of the Prohibition Era. Thanks to the 18th Ammendment, Americans of the 1920’s were allowed to only consume alcohol via a doctors prescription. Barrel upon barrel of Medicinal whiskey has been found and is now ready to be sold to market.
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L A B E L E X P L O R AT I O N Finding the right voice.
PA P E R O P T I O N S
FINAL LABEL
F I N A L PA P E R
F I N A L PA C K A G E
F I N A L PA C K A G E
THE CASE Inspired by whiskey casks. I wanted to create a cylindrical case that hugged the bottle. I wanted something that looked antique but also modern. Using plywood I laser cut out over 70 circles, glued them together, sanded them down, stained it to create the slip case.
Tried a few different configurations before I came to a conclusion.
POSTERS
S PE AK E ASY PHAR MACY
The idea was to make it feel like the time period. A 1920's Pharmacy as you walk in and once you hand them your prescription you get to enter the Speakeasy.
Speakeasy's in Chicago were known for having green doors.
T H A N K YO U !