Case Study
Vikre Distillery
Distilled With a Sense of Place
Looking to expand from hometown hero to industry standout, Vikre Distillery approached SMAKK to help them embrace the natural quirks of their roots in Duluth, Minnesota while justly reflecting both the quality and integrity of their spirits, and the eccentric character of the place that inspired them.
Introduction
Introduction
Female-founded, and born from a desire to swap their corporate desk jobs for something more creative, Vikre Distillery is a passion of husband and wife team, Emily and Joel Vikre. Their approach to spirits champions a triple bottom line: people, planet, and prosperity. This means not only developing a certified organic, zero waste production process, but building bottle reuse and giveback programs, and sourcing ingredients locally – from wild botanicals and grains, to water from the great Lake Superior watershed.
Why We Loved This Project
Why We Loved This Project
Emily and Joel painted a vivid picture of Duluth as an eclectic place on the edge of Lake Superior–equal parts boundless maximalism and restrained discretion. We knew translating the character of Duluth into a visual identity for this beloved community landmark would require a stunning design that translates easily to be recognizable online, on shelf, and in the distillery itself. Inspired by the city’s friendly people and ferocious weather, we knew our ‘spirit-forward’ concept had to marry the two with a metropolitan elegance, well-seasoned by the woods. We used a suite of original illustrations to carry across all branded assets, along with a selection of places, characters, and ingredients (like the Temperance River, a wild Norwegian grandmother, juniper berries and pine), to create uniquely surreal collages, representative of both Duluth and the spirit within (pun intended). Each product tells its own story of joyful impossibility, to share with friends, sip, savor, and celebrate.
What We Did
What We Did
SMAKK knew the design would need to be unique enough to stand out on shelf while functioning competitively by way of recognizability, label placement and scalability, messaging clarity and hierarchy, and bottle shape and size. We took consumer behaviors and trends into consideration while leading brand strategy, creating the new visual identity and messaging, design for ecommerce and packaging, and developing a brand website that all felt authentic to where Vikre came from, and where they are going.
Services Provided
Services Provided
Brand Strategy, Visual Identity, Messaging, Packaging, Ecommerce Design, Shopify Development, UX Design, Copywriting
Results
Results
The resulting identity is a whimsical celebration of place, and the community that it cultivates. Delightful and charming with playful sophistication, Vikre’s branding is a conversation-inspiring ode to creativity and tradition, and the generous land that inspires them both.
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