THE outline of Ben Nevis forms the centrepiece of a first major rebrand in more than three decades for The Highland Soap Company, led by Scottish brand and design studio Freytag Anderson.
The new identity is built around the brand positioning ‘The Highlands. In Essence.’, an idea described as translating the feeling of space, clarity and calm associated with the Highlands into products designed for everyday use.
The new visual identity features a ‘calmer, more confident’ aesthetic that reflects its handmade processes, commitment to natural ingredients and connection to its Highland origins. The design doubles down on the landscape surrounding the company’s Fort William workshop – where the 4,400 ft mountain can be seen from the workshop its products are handmade.
A refined colour palette, hand-painted graphic accents, and skyline motif drawn from the mountain silhouettes have been chosen.
The rebrand also puts a sharper spotlight on what goes into the products. Organic ingredients, naturally derived fragrances, and low-impact formulations are more clearly communicated across the packaging, alongside refillable bottles and materials designed to reduce waste. Green is used as a signal of the brand’s commitment to low-impact skincare.
The updated packaging moves away from generic brown apothecary bottles towards bespoke green vessels, new bottle shapes, and expanded label space.
Daniel Freytag, co-founder and creative director at Freytag Anderson, said, “From the outset, this went beyond packaging and was about defining the brand through its connection to place in Scotland and to the wider world. Highland Soap Co. already had a very clear sense of who they are and where they come from, and our role was to distil that into a visual language that feels contemporary and confident, without resorting to pastiche.
“You can literally see Ben Nevis from the workshop and watch the products being made by hand. That level of authenticity meant the brand could be confident in being itself. The job of the design was simply to let the packaging tell that story.”
Archie MacDonald, MD at The Highland Soap Company, added, “We make everything by hand here at the foot of Ben Nevis, using organic ingredients and natural fragrances inspired by the landscape around us. The purity of the Highlands, and the quality of the botanicals we work with – many of them wild-harvested – are fundamental to how our products are made.
“People already have a strong relationship with the brand, and we were very aware of that going into this. The aim wasn’t to change who we are, but to express it more clearly. This feels like a natural evolution. It reflects how we’ve always worked, just expressed in a more considered way.”
