Bowmore’s Lunar New Year Odyssey

With Asia projected to make up 1/5 of the global Scotch profit by 2040, the region represents an important market to Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Despite a rich 240-year legacy, Bowmore remains a relatively unknown Scotch brand in Asia that hasn’t captured its share of the barrel.

We saw Lunar New Year (LNY) as an opportunity to build brand equity and drive trial. But with 2024 LNY being especially significant as it marks the Year of the Dragon – a highly revered symbol in Asia – Bowmore needed to approach this year’s LNY campaign with even more care and respect, particularly as an outsider.

With a modest budget of US$20 per packaging, Bowmore needed to resonate deeper with Asian consumers and offer more than just a pretty, seasonal packaging – it needed to meaningfully connect the brand’s essence with the spirit of LNY.

Audience: Asian Whisky Nouveau

A new breed of urban whisky drinkers in their 30s to 40s who defy the stereotypical image of whisky drinkers. They approach the whiskey experience with an open mind, but are just as interested in immersing themselves in the whisky’s story and craft.

Creative Idea: Leap to Greatness

Mastering a craft is a strenuous journey that demands unwavering perseverance – and no one knows this better than Bowmore. We introduced Bowmore’s journey towards mastery with an enduring Chinese proverb about perseverance: “鲤鱼跳龙门” (The Carp has leaped through the Dragon’s Gate).

The proverb tells a three-act story: the humble Carp’s determined journey up the raging waterfall; its triumphant leap through the Dragon’s Gate; the miraculous transformation into the majestic Dragon.

Through the blending of Bowmore’s pursuit of excellence with this Chinese legend, a shared lesson emerges: greatness belongs to those who persevere.

With the Dragon’s Gate and transforming Carp as the focus, we employed a radially balanced grid composition to fully capture the three-act story in the unboxing experience: The exterior captures the Carp’s ascent; the sliding unboxing mechanism mirrors the moment of transformation; the unboxed packaging completes the story, displaying the triumphant Dragon soaring over Bowmore's single malt scotch.

Collaborating with Singaporean Chinese illustrator Kenn Lam, we brought the visual elements – the carps, the turbulent waves, the Dragon Gate, and the Dragon – to life in a meticulous manner: seamlessly connecting the exterior’s Dragon’s body with the interior Dragon’s illustration; finishing every scale with gold detailing.

We hand-illustrated an original spring couplet encapsulating the shared journey to greatness: 波上鲤跃 / 摩砺为龙 (The Carp that is not afraid of riding the waves / Will be the Dragon that conquers the sky). When opened, its position mirror couplets hanging by doorways during LNY.

As Lunar New Year is around the corner, the results are presently underway. Despite this, the design caught the eye of multiple regional and international publications, with an estimated PR value of US$128,000 in the first week alone; the current PR value, one month in, is US$717,000 and counting.

To date, the pack has sold out at multiple retail outlets.