PACKAGING supplier BellaGiada has collaborated with Dublin Liberties Distillery to create a new design for the company’s 27-year-old limited edition single malt whiskey, ‘King of Hell’.
The product is part of a range of whiskeys that represent 17th or 18th-century stories from the Liberties district of Dublin, where the distillery is located.
The ‘King of Hell’ story revolves around the Eagle Tavern in Dublin, where the Hell Fire Club, led by Richard Parsons, gathered. Parsons and his associates adopted a black cat as their secret symbol and the motto ‘Do What Thou Wilt,’ which was said to be ‘shocking’ to society during that era.
After an initial release of the whiskey, Dublin Liberties asked BellaGiada to create a new packaging design that would reflect the ‘disruptive and unruly’ character of their ‘hell raiser’ brand. BellaGiada explained that it designed a pack that complemented the existing 700ml bottle and 50ml miniature, as well as conveying its own ‘distinctive allure’.
Drawing inspiration from the 1600s materials of the Hell Fire Club era, the pack incorporated dark matt materials, foil blocking, and debossing. The Dublin Liberties logo and a metal King of Hell crown were inset into a bespoke recess on the matte black material.
Internally, the miniature was nestled in the main body of the pack, held in place by a ‘shoulder’ gold accent, designed to exude opulence and sophistication. A ‘touch of magic’ was introduced with a light-sensitive LED illuminating the miniature skull bottle, placed on a black silk cushion.
Each pack was adorned with a unique metal plaque bearing the engraved bottle number. To complete the package, the structural team crafted a corrugated shipper, providing ‘optimal protection’ during transit, all while adhering to BellaGiada’s commitment to sustainability by avoiding plastic-based packaging materials.
The success of the promotional campaign resulted in a complete sellout of all King of Hell bottles within 12 months, setting the stage for Dublin Liberties’ next limited edition, scheduled for release in early 2024.
BellaGiada’s Simon Dipple said, “We take immense pride in partnering with Dublin Liberties and crafting a packaging design that perfectly encapsulates the disruptive and unruly character of the ‘hell raiser’ brand. Demonstrating outstanding design innovation, the new pack rectifies the challenges faced during the first release, while remaining within budget.”
BellaGiada’s pack has been shortlisted in the Limited Edition of the Year category at this year’s UK Packaging Awards. The pack will be on display at London Packaging Week next month.
