Gold Packaging Design · 2023
The Donn Single Malt Irish Whiskey
by Tiago Russo and Katia Martins
- A' Design Award 2023 Gold Winner in Packaging Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- CLIENT: The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 46,296
- Verification code DB7A0FA4F3 · Verify this award
About The Donn Single Malt Irish Whiskey
The Donn symbolizes the youngest of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. range; a gateway to the core values of the brand as of an immersive experience around this or any product that CIWC develops. No accessories are spared, no details too small. From a disruptive, statement bottle design, to an immersive see-through box, the user can find every single component that can truly provide the perfect whiskey experience for one. Glass, pipette and stones, all safely secured onto the suede backing of the box, create a secure display of accessories, complemented with the soft touch of leather detailing.
Positioned within the distinguished tradition of luxury spirits presentation, The Donn Single Malt Irish Whiskey by Tiago Russo represents an exceptional achievement in the synthesis of functional container and sculptural objet d'art, drawing upon the geometric vocabulary of early twentieth-century decorative arts while embracing contemporary material sensibilities and precision manufacturing capabilities, the vessel architecture suggests careful study of crystalline mineral formations and Art Deco architectural ornamentation translated into a form that rewards examination from multiple vantage points, the chromatic sophistication emerges through the masterful orchestration of transparency against warm amber saturation, allowing the aged spirit to become an integral component of the visual composition rather than merely contained liquid, the rose-gold metallic elements introduce industrial warmth that bridges the cool precision of cut crystal with the organic heritage of distillation craft, typographic choices demonstrate restraint and confidence with classically proportioned serif letterforms that communicate establishment credibility without ostentation, the technical execution evidences extraordinary attention to optical clarity in the crystal medium with facet edges maintaining consistent sharpness throughout the complex shoulder geometry, this work participates in a broader conversation about the elevation of packaging design to collectible status where the container transcends utilitarian function to become a permanent presence in domestic environments, the presentation against absolute darkness employs curatorial staging conventions typically reserved for precious objects in museum vitrines suggesting the appropriate context for appreciation, viewers might consider how the interplay of geometric precision and organic material warmth reflects the broader cultural negotiation between technological capability and artisanal authenticity that characterizes contemporary luxury craft production
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- A mythological creation that sees its storytelling translated and reinterpreted through an impactful design, The Donn represents the first ever retail tailored product from The Craft Irish Whiskey Co., and therefore, focuses on the bottle and on how a single vessel can tell its own story whilst captivating the world around it. Subsequently, its experience box comes to elevate and highlight the vessel shaping, by adopting a see-through section with a similar angled geometry.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The vessel’s divergent shape and enlarged shoulder acts like a freestanding monument, whilst allowing a recessed gap for the user to grab the bottle with ease, in the exact balancing spot that will allow a soft and smooth pour, all designed and enclosed within the perfect combination of aesthetics, mythology, ergonomics and sensorial experience. Subsequently, the experience box comes into play to add to the full experience, in a singular moment of introspection and appreciation.
- Tags
- Whiskey, luxury, design, craftsmanship, experience, immersion, packaging, product, exclusive, bottle
- Production Technology
- With its faceted, angular shaping, The Donn bottle was envisioned with a large, solid base, elevating the whiskey and its shades onto the narrowest part of the bottle. From there, the planar surfaces reflect the whiskey colours in every direction, in a vessel that must be visible from all angles, with one’s attention grabbed and enchanted onto it, as the glass elevates, widens and creates the inverted lip at the very top of its shoulders, creating the basis for a vertical elevated posture.
- Design Challenge
- Apart from the extensive search for disruptive, eye-catching elements that could generate the differentiating point for The Donn, the core of the development process relied on creating a product that, whilst encompassing difference and irreverence, could still stay true to the brand’s ultra-premium look and feel, that could be considered a worthy successor of previous years’ releases, elevating whiskey and brand as one. Desire, disruption, tradition, all merged together in a single design.
- Project Duration
- Introduced by The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. early 2023, The Donn represents the youngest addition to the luxury whiskey range, with its bottle developed for almost two years, in order to achieve the ultimate vessel, with the rock-formed geometry appearing in the glass smoothly and ensuring the liquid inside stays visible and truly benefits from all the angles and reflections promoted by the extremely angular asymmetrical bottle, topped by obsidian and rose gold knurl detailing on the closure.
- Operation Flow
- The Donn packaging is a sensorial experience embedded onto the dark oak, leather, rose gold details, and most importantly, a moment of tasting and celebration, alongside the intricate vessel. Concise angles are used as the main focus point, drawing the attention towards the bottle, where the faceted shaping, iconic of this vessel, has inspired a similar angular and transparent window, teasing the viewer onto the natural shades of the Whiskey whilst bursting all the light refractions through.
- Research
- As a product that is tailored to a broader range of users and buyers than the rest of the brand’s range, the research stage was focused on the retail whiskey market, in order to understand what could be a shape and appealing design for this product to stand out from the shelves, in such a competitive market. It was a search for differentiating assets, for disruptiveness that could elevate and highlight The Donn beyond its direct competitors, through design and mythology.
- Inspiration
- In Irish mythology, Donn is associated to the god of the dead. Derived from the Celtic word for Dark Lord, Donn is said to dwell under the rock tunnel at Tech Duinn, where the souls of the dead gather to be chosen by the Donn. With Tech Duinn associated with the formation of Bull Rock in Ireland, The Donn bottle is inspired by the geometric rock formations on the side of this island, where an inverted elevating geometry was adopted, as to represent the conquering of Tech Duinn and The Donn.
- Image Credits
- The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.