As a brand with clear heritage, Martini had gained a reputation as a more feminine, older person’s brand that you enjoy at home with family and friends. To make this brand appealing with its new younger, more male audiences, we needed to create a brand that these consumers could not only relate to, but one that clearly stood out in an already crowded marketplace. We also needed to make sure the brand could fit in the existing Martini range but still be able to stand alone.

We developed three unique concepts for the name and identity and illustrated them across the logo, bottle shape, typography and iconography; all of which are key differentiators for any premium spirits brand.

The final concept is a bold, uncluttered and striking design, combining heritage graphics with contemporary styling to highlight the premium positioning of the product.

The feel of the bottle was also very important when portraying the masculinity of the product. We decided to buck the recent trend in glass bottle production and opt for a heavier glass so it felt substantial in the hand.

The structure of the bottle, with its facets and detailed reliefs is substantial in the hand, adding to the appeal for male audiences, and delivering standout and recall for the brand in on and off trade retail environments. The icon we designed is modelled on car badging, referencing Italian motoring heritage. To achieve the car badge metallic effect we used a special tarnish emboss on an aluminium label. We created an iconic badge whilst retaining the Martini Family Crest.

The product was launched into the Russian market in November 2012, to be followed by an international roll out in 2013.