The new Bowmore Appellations range includes four wine cask aged single malt whiskies that are exclusive to GTR and collectively represent a ‘new chapter’ for the Suntory Global Spirits-owned brand, which has completely revamped its packaging
On location in Islay: Bowmore expresses its commitment to GTR with new range of channel-exclusive Appellations whiskies
This autumn, Bowmore will introduce its premium-positioned Appellations collection – four wine cask-aged single malt Scotch whiskies created exclusively for GTR. As reported, the launch is part of a major brand overhaul, with the Suntory Global Spirits-owned brand leaning into its Islay heritage and 240-year distilling expertise.
GTR Magazine’s senior writer, Alison Farrington was on location in Islay, Scotland with the Bowmore marketing team for a preview of the Appelations range in June. L-R: Suntory Global Spirits Senior Marketing Manager – Prestige Brands, Kshama Alur, GTR Magazine’s Alison Farrington, Bowmore Distillery Manager David Angus Turner, Suntory Global Spirits Senior Marketing Manager – Core and Local Brands, Shomita Sah and Bowmore Global Marketing Manager Ekaterina Kolesnik
GTR Magazine’s London-based senior writer, Alison Farrington, was on location at Bowmore’s distillery on the remote Scottish island of Islay, for a two-day media preview and tasting, held in June. Kshama Alur and Ekaterina Kolesnik, senior brand managers for GTR and marketing respectively, explained the thinking behind Bowmore’s strategic elevated market push.
Bowmore Appellations is a collaboration with some of the world’s finest wine-producing regions. From the vineyards and wineries of Burgundy and Bordeaux to the exclusive port houses of the Douro Valley, these four whiskies embody influence from the brand’s unique Islay home together with the charm of renowned European terroirs.
The new Bowmore Appellations range includes four wine cask aged single malt whiskies that are exclusive to GTR and collectively represent a ‘new chapter’ for the Suntory Global Spirits-owned brand, which has completely revamped its packaging. The collection comprises a 14 YO Bordeaux Cask Finish; a 16 YO Ruby Port Cask Finish; a 19 YO Pinot Noir Cask Finish; and at the top of the range, the 22 YO Sauternes Cask Finish
A new Bowmore Sherry Oak Collection that showcases the role of the best European oak Sherry casks in shaping layers of depth and flavor across 12 YO, 15 YO, 18 YO and 21 YO expressions, also launched into domestic markets from 1 September, with the GTR range making its debut in October.
“We wanted the GTR range to be about exploring appellations – the wine regions of France and Portugal. Also, the right age statement: at what point does the liquid sing?” Kolesnik explains.
Core elevation
Bowmore has been building up to this moment says Alur, further to its investment in exclusive collaborations such as the Aston Martin or Frank Quitely partnerships that have helped to move the brand towards the prestige end of the spirits category. “We’ve seen Bowmore holding its own in a lot of global markets and especially in the GTR channel,” she explains.
Bowmore Distillery Manager David Angus Turner opens up No. 1 Vaults
“It was the right time to step change and introduce an exclusive range on the core offer. The whole brand is going through an evolution. And GTR is an important extension of the brand, which is also going through an elevation,” she says.
At the Atlantic Ocean battered No.1 Vaults cellar, Bowmore’s whiskies spend their lives resting and gathering their distinctive fruity and smoky flavors. It’s this rich character – full of sea air and peaty Islay undertones that feed into Bowmore’s whisky DNA, where time defines its proposition: one of a few distilleries that still produces its own floor malted barley, hand-turned by a traditional wooden malt shovel and heated in peat fired kilns.
New design codes
At the heart of this transformation is the overall design and visual world of Bowmore. With a clear desire to put the whisky in the bottle at the heart, the new design of Bowmore expresses its spirit story in the clearest and most authentic way. Inspired by the exceptionally expressive and layered nature of Bowmore’s character, the morphic linework design reflects this. The dominant use of the color black, a legacy color part of the brand livery for decades, also pays homage to one of the most iconic whiskies – Black Bowmore, distilled in 1964.
At the top of the range, the 22 yo Sauternes Cask Finish is matured in American Oak ex-Bourbon casks and finished in Sauternes casks and has a sweet, tropical taste with elegant complexity balanced by a sweet and honeyed finish
“We are witnessing a new visual tonality, a multi-dimensionality where several different aspects of the brand are coming to life. And GTR works well to bring that storytelling to life,” says Alur.
There are refreshed design cues with subtle color codes across the packaging. The four new aged products are depicted with blues and reds for the 14 YO, purple, red and brown for the 16 YO, yellow, green and brown for the 19 YO and a more luxurious gold and black for the 22 YO.
“We wanted to use the new visual identity to communicate the elevation story. We describe it as multidimensionality – discovering the flavors of each of the four whiskies, visually seeing these layers of Bowmore’s focus on wine cask-aged products, through these expressions in a colorful, vibrant way,” says Alur.
Launch activations
The new Bowmore identity will launch with a raft of key activations in global air hubs including London Heathrow and Changi, Singapore, with Frankfurt, Istanbul and North Asia to follow. “We’re looking for sustained growth with our new positioning. We will launch the new-look Bowmore in GTR with highly visual and captivating activations,” says Alur.
GTR Magazine’s Alison Farrington tests out the barley tossing equipment at the Bowmore distillery on Islay, Scotland
A big focus will be on brand advisors unpacking the product history, using content areas and touch points to aid the exploration. “They will be able to talk about the varianting and the taste layering for the first time. We're going to be able to differentiate those layers and really glorify the tasting notes for travelers.”
That also means refreshing Bowmore’s permanent visibility, touch points and activation ideas. “The new brand DNA is distinctive and differentiated. It really brings to life the multidimensionality of what Bowmore stands for,” says Alur.
Sea dragon icon
Bowmore has introduced a new/old brand icon: the sea dragon, which is embossed on the new packaging. “The Kranadu sea dragon is part of Bowmore’s history, so we wanted to reintroduce this historic figure as part of our new branding,” explains Kolesnik.
There's an Islay story of a warrior who defeated the sea dragon Kranadu, who lived in the loch next door to the Bowmore distillery. The dragon's blood turned the loch red, and mothers warned their children not to go near the loch.
Kolesnik says when the brand team was working on the packaging, they discovered the sea dragon in the archives and they wanted to use it again, so they turned it around to face forward, to represent Bowmore’s promising future
“We're really looking forward to putting all these visual design devices into the GTR channel. We can create an iconic but consistent identity, using the concept of color coming out of the dark, the sea dragon and the ridges to represent the different flavor layers,” says Alur.
