Fresh From the Field — Island Gin by One Design
This Fresh from the Field features One Design’s exceptional craft on Island Gin. The outstanding bottle form and the brand expression draw inspiration from the environment and speak to our coast. Making this global calibre project undeniably local. Island Gin is also a beacon of environmental stewardship and circular thinking, with raw material for the bottle gathered from the Great Barrier Islands’ beach communities.
The Brief:
Island Gin is crafted five hours off the coast of New Zealand in a small distillery on Great Barrier Island. With a population of less than 1,000, the remote island is unrivalled in its natural beauty – it is one of only 12 dark sky sanctuaries in the world – and the small community is dedicated to preserving its unique landscape. Distilled with 100% pure New Zealand base spirit, organic Macedonian juniper, hand foraged botanicals mostly grown on the Island and cut with water naturally sourced from an island spring, the unique profile of Island Gin is led by locally harvested Island Bush Honey and Coriander. Acquisition of a small bach at Medlands, and a love affair with island living (and G&Ts) compelled our client Andi Ross to create and distill this handcrafted, off-grid gin. She required a distinct brand with packaging that would sit comfortably alongside other ultra-premium gins, while directly speaking to its provenance. One Design’s challenge was to marry the distinct, wild nature of Great Barrier Island with the sensibility of a world-class gin, conveying the beauty of the Island as well as the premium nature of the spirit
Island Gin is consciously guided by nature and the principles of the local community.
The Response:
The recycled glass bottle was directly inspired by the kina shell – endemic to the coastline of Great Barrier Island and New Zealand, which gives it a unique sense of place and identity. Working closely with OI Glass, Andi perfected and manufactured the bottle using glass reclaimed from the island community itself. The transition phase of the glass manufacturing process (where the colour transitions from flint to artic blue) formed the first run with the unique kina mould. The pale green glass, a result of this transition phase, works beautifully to further enhance the kina identity which is naturally green in colour. The circular label design references both the kina and the recycled sustainable ethos of the brand putting Great Barrier Island at the heart both metaphorically and physically. Each flavour is distinguished by hues from nature, inspired by the land and sea. These raw muted colours are juxtaposed with a sculptured foil emboss which assists brand positioning in the ultra-premium space.
