Capturing the African sunset

“Pour me a sunset, kill the night, and I promise to drink with you forever.”

William C. Hannan (Author of 'The Infinite Traveler')

There is something about Africa that seems to change your very soul. Forever. Whether you are simply a tourist, or a local resident, there are few things more distinctive than the smell of the bushveld after a thunderstorm, the call of hyaenas at dusk or the sight of that fiery orb descending at the end of a summer’s day.

This may sound like the opening paragraph of ‘Out of Africa’ – or the plethora of books like it. And in many cases, you will have assumed correctly. But not today. Today we are are talking about gin. A distincly African gin, imbued with the rosy tinge of an African sunset, and filled with the taste of every African memory.

The Just Design Jhb team was asked to create a new gin brand for the makers of Ginologist, Craft Link Distillery. The brief was simply to capture the essence of Africa in a beautiful brand name and bottle label design. We immediately started to investigate the competitor landscape and determine what sort of trends are influencing clear spirits. But with the gin category being very much an ‘anything goes’ at the moment, we needed to be understated, premium and above all - distinctive.

The flavour profile of any gin is determined by its ingredients. And those ingredients need to tell a visual story. We looked at the visual structure of each botantical and converted them into a striking geometric pattern – emulating a pattern that you would see through a kaleidoscope. This multi-dimensional pattern was then printed directly onto every bottle – allowing consumers to collect and reuse the bottles in creative ways once empty. The paper label afixed on top of the bottle print is understated, with beautiful coppery metallics – complementing both the liquid and the bottle finishes.

Kaleido Gin looks set to be a leader in the South African gin category. It joins the ranks of the trending spirits through its premium, yet understated, simplicity and allows every sip to embody the sights, smells and tastes of Africa. Cheers!

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About Just Design

For 20 years, Just Design has proven time and again that good thinking leads to great creative. With a national footprint and accounts across Africa, Middle East and Europe, they are the strategic design and innovation partners for many blue-chip clients and global brands, and are one of South Africa’s leading Innovation, Strategy and Design agencies.

About Kaleido Gin

Kaleido is currently only found in selected stores as the focus has been on the international market. But keep your eyes peeled on social media. This double-gold winning gin is going places!