William Grant & Sons refreshes Glenfiddich Cask Collection

William Grant & Sons (WGS) will unveil a refreshed travel retail-exclusive Glenfiddich Cask Collection at the upcoming TFWA World Exhibition (Golden Village GO2).

The new look is said to reflect a bold and differentiated brand image positioning in a bid to improve consumer appeal and help better signpost Glenfiddich.

WGS Global Travel Retail Managing Director Ed Cottrell said: “Single malts is the fastest-growing spirit category in travel retail and, while Glenfiddich Cask Collection has been very well received since its launch into market last year, we felt it would benefit from a more modern and contemporary look which – at the same time – would better highlight the exclusivity and story behind the Solera vat process.”

All three whiskies in the Cask Collection are based on the Solera vat process which marries handpicked single malt whiskies together for at least two months. According to WGS, the process guarantees the continuity of the whisky’s flavour and taste by ensuring each vat is never less than half full and is constantly replenished.

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Blue is the colour: WGS says the majority of travel retail shoppers make their purchase decision in-store and are heavily influenced by what they see on the fixtures

The new handcrafted wooden vats, created exclusively for the Cask Collection, are found with the original Solera vat in the Warehouse 8 at the heart of The Glenfiddich Distillery.

Cottrell noted: “Solera is such an asset to the brand. The refreshed look marks a milestone for Glenfiddich in highlighting the exclusivity and brand creation story behind Solera in a much more visually disruptive way than we have done before.”

According to consumer research conducted by WGS, the majority of travel retail shoppers make their purchase decision in-store and are hugely influenced by what they see on the fixtures. Colour also plays an important psychological role, WGS stated.

For Select and Reserve Casks, shades of blue have been chosen to reflect a clear step up between the two. “Blue is a colour that you have to use with the ultimate target in mind,” said Cottrell. “It is universally the most liked colour by both males and females relating to trust, honesty and reliability, strength and unity.

“For Select Cask we have used a vibrant blue that aims to recruit younger consumers entering the category from premium blend, bourbon or adjacent categories. The deeper blue Reserve Cask colour reflects the richer and more complex nature of the spirit and will appeal to a more mature drinker, while the outer box for Vintage is a darker blue still to distinguish the expression as appealing to those looking for further depth and maturity.”

The blue tones are repeated on the labels and foil caps of both Select and Reserve Cask bottles, while Vintage Cask uses copper colouring, psychologically associated with premium and quality, combined with maturity and earthiness.

Each bottle design aims to symbolise the constant movement of the spirit, dubbed infinite layers of flavour, in the Solera vats. Bottle labels feature an infinity string design which is repeated on the outer gift packaging, and is also the basis for marketing and merchandising materials.

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A milestone for Glenfiddich: Ed Cottrell believes the new packaging will be ‘more visually disruptive’

The personality of each expression is represented by the complexity of the pattern created, from satin ribbon for the smooth Select Cask, to copper strands for the rare peated malt selected for Vintage Cask. “The results are powerful visuals that stand out on their own or form the perfect collection when used together in activations,” noted Cottrell.

Glenfiddich Select Cask, matured in hand-selected aged Bourbon, European oak and red wine casks, offers layers of sweetness, spice and hints of citrus.

Glenfiddich Reserve Cask, matured in Spanish sherry casks, is described as a sweet and spicy whisky.

Both releases are available in 1-litre bottles, housed in a bold gift tube.

Glenfiddich Vintage Cask, William Grant & Sons’ only peated malt, is defined by its wave of copper strings. Glenfiddich Vintage Cask is available in a 70cl bottle cased inside a gift box.

Cottrell concluded: “The rejuvenated Glenfiddich Cask Collection, as a global travel retail exclusive range, will be supported in-store with lively and engaging high profile activations designed to reflect the infinite flavour profiles of this unique collection.”

The new-look Glenfiddich Cask Collection will be available in global travel retail from Q2 2017.

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