The popularity of whisky in Asia is soaring as a younger generation seeks out new ways to express their discerning and sophisticated tastes. But Bowmore hasn’t been capturing its share of the barrel. As one of Scotland’s lesser known brands, Bowmore’s understated design and simple aesthetic has kept it barely noticeable on shelves in Asia. Gifting at the Lunar New Year (LNY) is a key mechanism to drive trial. But for an unknown brand like Bowmore, a muted packaging design would once again keep it hidden on shelves, especially during a festival that is lavish and bright. Accordingly, we sought to leverage LNY as an opportunity to create a Limited Edition packaging design that would introduce Asian whisky drinkers to the world of Bowmore. To do this, we needed the design to reinforce our brand heritage and equity, while also being highly respectful of both Asian culture and LNY traditions.

Follow the rabbit

There is an extricable link between the Lunar New Year and journeys as millions of people around the world embark on a journey at this time to be reunited with their families. With hundreds of years of heritage, the story of Bowmore is also a journey. 2023 being the year of the Water Rabbit, we invited consumers to go on a journey to discover Bowmore with the rabbit as their guide. The idea was inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, where following the rabbit leads you through a portal to an extraordinary, new world. We positioned the keyhole from the iconic Bowmore vault padlock as the portal to unlock the mesmerising universe of Bowmore, and the key to creating the perfect Lunar New Year reunion.

We partnered with Erika Tay, a Singaporean Chinese illustrator whose style is heavily inspired by Chinese folklore. With her, we created a design that combined the heritage of Bowmore with the traditions of Lunar New Year. The rabbit begins by playfully beckoning you into the keyhole where atop the waves of the Atlantic, sits Bowmore’s distillery. Illustrations of peat smoke, ribbons of whisky and spikes of barley flow outward from the keyhole, carried in the beaks of swallows which symbolize beauty and new beginnings. As the rabbit journeys across the package, we see the Phoenix, the honey bee, golden Koi fish, gold coins and mandarin oranges – all key elements from the Chinese legend of the rabbit’s meeting with the Jade Emperor.

The packaging was released in three variations in China, Canada and Global Travel Retail, further brought to life through in-store installations and OOH executions at airport departure screens.

Results are still pending as the campaign has just launched.

However, in the 1st week of launch, the design caught the eyes of multiple regional and international publications, with an estimated PR value of US$185,000, vs. other seasonal packaging launches. The design was picked as part of Packaging of the World's monthly round-up of 10 Best and Most Popular Packaging Projects for January 2023.