Featured image for Studio Spotlight: Butterfly Cannon

Studio Spotlight: Butterfly Cannon

by Elizabeth Freeman on 02/19/2016 | 1 Minute Read

“Never underestimate the power of beauty.”

Natalie Alexander, Co-founder of London agency ButterflyCannon, cites this as one of the studio’s main creative philosophies. While it might seem like a vain quality to put value on, it goes well beyond a brand’s appearance. In fact, done well, beauty in design is a means of communication.

“Beauty is how you bypass consumers’ rationality and appeal to their more powerful emotive nature, and that’s how you get consumer loyalty beyond reason. Agencies often talk about ‘ideas’ and how their design satisfies a particular functional need but rarely do they talk about ‘beauty,’ and in fact some almost seem a little embarrassed to do so. We are not creating arbitrary beauty, we are creating beauty that befits the brand we are working on and that will therefore attract the type of consumer we are after. As the saying goes ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and our beholder is our consumer.”

 

The result? Brand experiences that truly mean something to the consumer. Aesthetically appealing but also more than skin deep, ButterflyCannon’s work is impeccable yet engaging, stunning yet significant, and it creates compelling stories people want to invest in.


Glenmorangie 1970s Whiskey Set and Extra Matured

As a partner with Glenmorangie, ButterflyCannon’s work involves a number of releases and specialty packs, including their 1970s Whiskey Set and their line of Extra Matured whiskey.

Their set of whiskies from the 1970s Collection was a coveted one—there only ten released and they were reportedly valued at $50,000. Not only that, but some of the vintages were the last remaining ones. As Dr. Bill lumsden, the head of distilling and whiskey creation at Glenmorangie puts it, “It’s like tasting a piece of history.” ButterflyCannon’s packaging treats the whiskies with reverence, allowing buyers to feel like they’re practically diving into the cellar themselves and pulling out each vintage from the shelf.

Glenmorangie Extra Matured whiskies spend ten years maturing in ex-bourbon casks, and then are matured for two additional years in different casks. This adds a completely new level of flavors to the whiskies, and ButteflyCannon needed to communicate that each one possesses a distinct personality. Chris Joscelyne, creative account director at ButterflyCannon explains, “As such, whilst the packaging design of each expression has certain consistent features such as the finessed branding hierarchy which emphasises that the extra-matured range is a family of products, each expression has subtle variations within the design, such as bespoke footer label designs and their own logotypes. In order to communicate the extra level of craft and attention to detail that has gone into the extra-matured range, both the label and secondary packaging of Lasanta and Quinta Ruban have been changed from a glossy to a subtler satin finish, which allows foiled elements such as the Glenmorangie logo and signet added stand out.”

Michael Atkinson, Marketing Manager Glenmorangie, adds, “ButterflyCannon have now been a key agency partner for Glenmorangie for over 4 years. During that time, they have delivered great work across a broad range of packaging, gifting and POSM briefs. We respect ButterflyCannon for the quality of their creative work, their quick turnaround of projects and their collaborative approach to working with the marketing and NPD teams at Glenmorangie. As an agency, they always go above and beyond to ensure the end result meets with our high expectations.”

 

Hennessy Very Special

One glance, and you’ll see that there’s nothing plain or boring about this divine packaging for Hennessy Very Special. Aiming to appeal to a younger consumer while remaining a top choice for the loyal Hennessy Cognac drinkers, ButterflyCannon had to inject a bit of charisma into a sophisticated look.

Black packaging lends a bit of mystery and also allows for foil, embossing, and gloss varnish to bring certain brand elements to life. While entirely black and gold, the variances in textures and sheen are delightful discoveries along the way that flesh out the consumer experience. When displayed, the boxes can be turned 90° and line up next to each other, completing the image.

“Hennessy Very Special is an iconic brand with an iconic attitude to match. Finding a way to create excitement and impact but not lose the heritage was the perfect challenge for our team.”

 

 

Chandon Limited Edition

Road trips, ice cream cones, boat rides on the lake, sparklers, and fireworks—these are all part of the idea of the all-American summer. Harnessing the essence of Americana, Chandon Limited Edition bottles have become quite the collector’s item. More than just red, white, and blue designs, the bottles have an undeniably nautical appearance while still representing the premium quality that is Chandon sparkling wine.

“Five years ago we were asked to create a limited edition pack design to celebrate the American summer for little known sparkling wine brand Chandon (part of the Moët Hennessy stable of brands). We first came up with the ‘Hamptons 4th July’ platform from which we created the red, white and blue Hamptons-style bottle design and accompanying items (which included ice buckets, tote bags, towels, deck chairs and air streamers). The design won LVMH’s global innovation award and the bottles sold out in a matter of weeks. Each year since then, ButterflyCannon has created a new take on the design and each year has been even more successful than the last. They are now considered collectable items and being treated almost like a fashion accessory as illustrated by how consumers are curating the bottles in their Instagram posts, which are then being shared with their followers. Due to the phenomenal success we’ve also started to create ‘holiday’ limited edition bottle designs, the latest being the fun, typographic based #BestieWishes design. As we’ve learnt not only do we need to create something that stands out on shelf it must also now pass the ‘Is it Instagram-worthy?’ test!”

 

 

RedLeg

You may not be living the island life of your dreams, but RedLeg Spiced Rum could get you close to it. Infused with Jamaican vanilla, ginger, and other spices, RedLeg brings a little bit of the Caribbean to you. While it’s a finely crafted spirit, it’s a refreshing step away from other more formal liquors and beverages that Butterfly

Cannon does so well. The text on the label looks like it could have been written by hand, and a small scuttling crab helps transport consumers to the beach. Gold accents lend a warm atmosphere, echoing the sunny days by the ocean.

"We needed to capture this laid-back spirit in a visual and verbal (bar call) way. The RedLeg crab, a native of the Caribbean coral reefs, was our cute and adaptable character used on and off pack. And the RedLeg name also refers to the pale-skinned, red-legged, rum-loving, Scottish descendants still living on the islands since the 17th Century. They know their rum."

 

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