Fragrance and spirits have always been linked, in more ways than one. Experts talk about flavor profiles and tasting notes in the same way “noses” discuss the composition of a fragrance. The packaging for both categories shares similar qualities.

“Attention to the many small details that go into the packaging of a fragrance is critical, as with wine and spirits,” says Carlos Huber, founder, Aquiste Parfumeur. “The bottle protects the fragrance and the liquor from evaporation, as well as from light and temperature, but it also communicates the style and concept behind the brand,” he explains.  

 Similar design influences can often be spotted in both fragrance and spirits packaging. Although both industries target very different types of customers, the packaging materials, decorating processes, and design strategies being utilized by both channels are alike. Glass bottles, decorative labels, colorful coatings, and luxe cartons and boxes are a few items needed by fragrance and spirits brands, so many suppliers work with package development teams and designers from both industries.
 
“It’s funny—we have customers in both industries, spirits and fragrance, and many of the larger spirits companies that I get to visit will have fragrance bottles in their conference rooms, and vice versa—so both industries are definitely drawing inspiration from each other,” says Don Droppo, president/CEO, Curtis Packaging, which manufactures secondary packaging for both categories.

Cameo Metal recently had a spirits customer, Domaine de Canton, who requested a cap for its ginger liqueur that looked similar to the cap on Aqua de Parma’s fragrance bottle. “The two industries are definitely linked,” says Anthony DiMaio, vice president, Cameo Metal.  

Shivie Dhillon, president, Bottle Coatings, says, “There’s definitely a synergy. Cosmetic manufacturers and spirits producers are both in the business of creating a certain allure and panache for their products.” He adds, “At Bottle Coatings, we’re typifying that approach, having expanded from UV-protective packaging for nail polish gels to spirits and fragrances as well.”

Spirits manufacturers are even starting to create limited edition packages more often, and paying much more attention to the different types of decorating processes available. Jose Cuervo is celebrating its 220th anniversary this year, and is marking the occasion with its first-ever limited edition package—a commemorative bottle that features a “Day of the Dead” design, created using gold and silver metallic coatings.

Chris Tubertini, vice president of sales and marketing, Quest, works mainly with companies in the spirits industry, and says they are definitely being inspired by fragrance packaging. “We’re seeing a lot of spirits companies that are emulating what they’re seeing in the fragrance world—they’re looking to fragrances to find ways to differentiate,” he explains.

Although spirits have been around forever, the industry is growing quickly, according to Tubertini. “There is a ‘boom’ in the spirits market in the U.S. right now, and it’s a race for brands to set the stage and become the first to create an image on shelf,” he explains. “Smaller spirits companies, such as craft distillers, have a great opportunity right now to break into the market by using packaging to differentiate,” Tubertini adds.

Jonathan Raccah, marketing director, New High Glass, has been spotting the same trends. “Years ago, many fragrance brands were trying to find a way to stand out, and everyone wanted a bottle in a unique shape as a way to differentiate. Now we’ve been seeing that happening in spirits,” says Raccah, referring to the skull-shaped bottle created by Crystal Head Vodka.

We’ve also seen color-changing labels for beer, and light-up liquor bottles on shelves recently. “Spirits companies are more often using design as a way to capture market share, especially smaller companies,” adds Raccah.

In the same way that many indie beauty brands use clever and unusual package designs in an effort to stand out among the cosmetic giants that dominate the market, a few new spirits companies are sharing that same strategy—and it’s been working.

Monkey 47, a German gin launched in April 2014 by Black Forest Distillers, was recently named the top trending spirit brand in the world, and the second most frequently requested gin by consumers, according to a recent survey by the publication, Drinks International.

The folks at Monkey 47 say the Top 10 list featured a “who’s who” of leading brand names, which they were proud to be among. What do they attribute their success to? The friendly, memorable monkey on its label, among other factors.

Another new, small spirits company using design to differentiate is The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co., which recently launched a fourth addition to its portfolio—Lost Prophet 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

An attention-getting label design helps draw attention to the brand. Lost Prophet’s packaging includes line illustrations, elaborate typography and ornate borders and frames. The deep black label and embossed gold design elements showcase the “lost lamb” on the center of the bottle and contrast with the amber liquid.

The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co. was created in early 2014 and is known for its one-time, limited edition releases. Its mission is to locate “forgotten barrels” of whiskey from around the world, and bring them to market.

When Industries Mix—Scents Inspired by Spirits

There are many synergies in packaging in both the spirits and fragrance industries, but often it’s the scent itself that was inspired by a spirit or cocktail.

One fragrance inspired directly by the world of spirits is The Architects Club, an Amber-Woody Eau de Parfum created by Carlos Huber, founder of Aquiste Parfumeur, and developed with Yann Vasnier.  The fragrance launched last fall, and is inspired by “cocktail time in London in March 1930.” It is made with some of the ingredients found in a gin martini—juniper berry oil, Angelica root, lemon peel oil, bitter orange, pepperwood, guaiac wood, oakwood, vanilla absolute and amber.

“Taste and aroma are both strongly linked,” says Huber. “The Architect’s Club is inspired in part by a gin martini—likewise, wine and spirits draw on flavors found in many fragrances to heighten the tasting experience. The vocabulary used in wine tasting and perfume smelling is not totally dissimilar for a reason,” Huber explains.

The description for the Architects Club fragrance says: “A group of architects gather for cocktails at Mayfair’s smartest Art Deco smoking room. As they settle in the warm interior of dark woods, leather and velvet, London’s bright young things burst in, frosted martinis in hand, surrounded by a cloud of laughter, white smoke and fine vanilla.”

Aquiste Parfumeur has also launched new travel set boxes, called “travel stories.” The niche brand is sold at Net-a-Porter, as well as on the brand’s website.

The brand uses the same round stock bottle for all of its fragrances. “In keeping the overall concept consistent to the one bottle, we made it easy for people to recognize the collection,” says Huber. He chose a circular bottle shape for its timeless, organic look. “A circle is present in every single artistic movement. It goes back to the famous “line of beauty,” the curve, that we instinctually find attractive,” says Huber.

Trendy absinthe is also making a splash in the fragrance market in the U.S.—and the perfumer is directly from the world of spirits. Pascal Rolland, founder of Liquoristerie de Provence, re-introduced Absinthe liquor in France in 1999 after it had been banned for 84 years.

“Pascal Rolland is the first liquor-maker perfumer,” says François Damide, founder/president, Crafting Beauty. Crafting Beauty is the U.S. distributor f or Absolument Parfumeur fragrances, which are also sold on its website, CraftingBoutique. “Pascal was fascinated by the fact that absinthe was illegal, and was able to convince the French government that it should be allowed on the market, because only the cheap versions made people crazy. So he was the first to get an absinthe liquor approved by the French government after the ban, and then was the first to export it,” says Damide.
The first fragrance Rolland created is Absolute Absinthe, which first launched in France in 2006. It was successful, and Rolland sold his liquor business—but, the fragrance never made it to retailers in the U.S. due to logistics difficulties. “Rolland’s first distributor/export partner specialized in liquor, not fragrances,” explains Damide.

Now, Crafting Beauty has relaunched Rolland’s fragrance in the U.S., but it is now part of a new collection of five scents, under the name, Absolument Parfumeur.  

The same round bottle is used for each fragrance in the collection, with a weighted resin overcap. The outer packaging makes the presentation extra special. The bottles are housed in cases made from recycled cotton, which has a faux leather look and feel.

When the consumer opens the magnetic closure and lifts up the top part of the case, the silver metallic band snaps open. The front of the case drops down, exposing the bottle like a treasure. While opening it, the experience feels even more special due to the case’s plush inner lining, which resembles velveteen.

Unexpected Shapes vs. Timeless Designs

Whenever a fragrance bottle’s packaging is described as being inspired by a spirits, it’s often a flask-shaped bottle, or a classic rectangular shape with squared edges, a heavyweight feel and minimal decoration. These timeless designs have been popular for both spirits and fragrance bottles.

New High Glass produces glass packaging for the fragrance industry, and classic, heavyweight bottles are one of its specialties. “We offer bottles that contain nearly double the typical weight of glass in a bottle. It looks and feels more luxe. The consumer can see the heavier base, and feel the ‘quality’ when picking it up,” explains Raccah.

Raccah goes on to say that the spirits industry has been trending toward flashier, unexpected looks—but now many fragrance brands are doing the opposite and opting for traditional design elements.

“It’s interesting, the way the market has turned. Every fragrance brand wanted a uniquely shaped bottle at one point—something exotic or risqué. Recently, there’s been a turn toward simple fragrance bottle designs—requests for classic bottle shapes with minimalistic deco, and nothing flashy or outlandish,” Raccah explains. “But I imagine the tide will turn again,” he adds.  

Thierry Mugler is one fragrance brand that has recently taken a turn away from bottles in unexpected shapes, opting instead for a more classic design. The brand’s recent launch, the Mugler Les Exceptions collection, consists of five fragrances that are all housed in the same streamlined refillable bottle, with squared edges that some might say are reminiscent of a spirits bottle.

The brand explains that Thierry Mugler’s love of architecture and Art Deco inspired the bottle’s rectangular shape, and its elegant silver “‘stirrup clip.” Since the scents in the collection are all considered gender-neutral, the packaging “straddles the narrow divide between masculine and feminine,” the brand’s spokesperson says.

The clear, polished glass bottle showcases the different hues of the scents in the collection. The bottle comes packaged in a black linen-textured box that is secured with a diagonally cut metal clip, and then placed in a fitted bag of the same linen-like material.   

Still, many fragrance brands continue to go for unexpected shapes, and they’re more surprising than ever. Fashion designer Jeremy Scott’s recent package designs have been attracting lots of attention. Scott partnered with Moschino this past holiday season to launch a fragrance housed in a bottle completely encased in a plush teddy bear. The fragrance sprays by removing the bear’s head to access the bottle’s actuator.

Now, Scott has partnered with Adidas and Coty to launch a limited edition unisex fragrance in a 75ml bottle that looks like a sneaker, made from glass. And, it has wings. The bottle is modeled after a pair of winged high-top sneakers that Scott designed for Adidas. It even comes tucked inside a shoebox, adorned with the Adidas Originals logo.

The sneaker-shaped bottle was designed with details that look like they were carved in the mold, including “laces” and Scott’s signature on the side of the “sole.”

Innovative Labels & Colorful Coatings Offer Protection

Some fragrance brands might be choosing more classic bottles and timeless designs, while others opt for glass bottles in unexpected shapes—but colorful decorations are another way to attract attention.

“We are seeing quite the opposite from a ‘less is more ’ approach to design,” says Shivie Dhillon, president, Bottle Coatings Inc. “Most companies seem to be moving more toward the ‘appearance is everything’ philosophy. Fancy bottles, bright colors, clean and contemporary labels are all the rage. In many cases, it’s the edgier the better,” he says.

Bottle Coatings recently developed a new, innovative type of decoration that can be utilized by both spirits and fragrance companies. It embeds a label into a powder coating on a glass bottle, for a look that’s functional as well as stylish and elegant.

A glass bottle can be decorated with Bottle Coatings’ powder coating, which provides protection from UV light. “Our technique is ‘clean’ and ‘green’ and has been embraced by manufacturers who produce UV-cured nail polish gels, fragrances and spirits because the powder coating process helps to prolong product shelf life and is also environmentally sound,” explains Dhillon.

Bottle Coatings has been discussing its embedded labeling technique with numerous vodka, whiskey and rum manufacturers, and fragrance companies have been requesting samples of the look after providing the supplier with artwork. “We have been fielding more and more inquiries from spirits and fragrance brands about this new technique. With increasing competition, manufacturers and producers are beginning to explore, and want a decoration that is new and different,” he adds.

“We also offer an exciting new line of tint colors for our coatings, so the choices for manufacturers are greater than ever. It’s all about standing out on the shelf these days…and the label is the first thing that consumers see,” says Dhillon.

Spirits Get More Colorful

Taking a few cues from the fragrance world, spirits companies have been launching limited edition bottles, colorful collections, and some are even collaborating with pop stars.

Quest’s Tubertini says that the decorating processes that have been popular among its spirits customers are the use of precious metals for a luxe look. “Spirits companies are taking lots of cues from fragrances, in terms of decoration. Hot-stamped foils are becoming more desirable for spirits, as well as decorating a bottle by printing directly on the glass,” he adds.

Nicki Minaj, who is part owner of MYX Fusions, is promoting the newest flavor of its carbonated beverage, which launched in December. It’s a blend of Moscato wine and exotic fruit juices, called MYX Myxotica, and it’s housed in a limited edition Nicki Minaj signature bottle in hot pink, which is a change from the brand’s usual cobalt blue.

The traditional wine-shaped bottle was designed to reflect the pop star’s personality, the brand says, and the hue also matches the hair color Minaj sported at one time. Minaj is also known for her fragrances, which are in bust-shaped bottles decorated in her likeness.

Piramal Glass is one supplier that often works with spirits companies to create colorful looks for glass bottles. In the same way a fragrance company might choose the same bottle shape, decorated in different colors for different scents, a spirits company uses the same design strategy to differentiate flavors.

Piramal’s stock spirits  bottles were recently chosen for Kenny Chesney’s rum, Blue Chair. “It’s a sexier take on a classic whiskey bottle. It has a tapered body, with a heavy base,” says Dave Desai, director of sales, Piramal.

Piramal decorated the bottles using a two-tone gradient spray and multi-color printing. There are five flavors in the line, and a different color spray is used on each bottle, from blues and grays to bright red.

“You can definitely see the influence of our fragrance heritage in this package,” says Desai. The line also won the Silver Award in the Food & Beverage category at the recent New Jersey Package Executives Club’s 2014 Package of the Year event.

Belvedere Vodka also has a colorful collection—the same bottle is used in a different color, for each flavor. Belvedere’s new promotion, launching this month, promotes the infamous vodka martini, “Shaken Not Stirred” preference and the new upcoming James Bond film, Spectre, set for release in November 2015. “It’s our largest global partnership to date,” said Charles Gibb, president, Belvedere Vodka.  

To promote the tie-in with the film, the brand’s signature blue decoration on its packaging will be replaced with a distinctive green to mirror the “secret spy agency’s ink of choice,” the brand says. Only 100 collector’s edition bottles will be made. Plus, a “007 twist” will be applied to Belvedere’s illuminating Silver Saber bottles.

Perrier-Jouët House of Champagne is another spirits company that has created a limited edition package for a special launch. The brand is known for its decorative floral motif that adorns its bottles. Its new design features a hummingbird, created for the launch of Perrier-Jouët’s 2005 vintage, Cuvee Belle Epoque Rose, last December.

Brazilian visual artist Vik Muniz designed the packaging. Muniz explained, “Much as Perrier-Jouët has long embraced Art Nouveau’s love of nature and enchantment, I took the idea of captivation in a natural setting as the inspiration for this motif.”

Making a Box Extra Special

The outer packaging, for both spirits and fragrances, often has to be as impressive as the bottles inside. Curtis Packaging is one supplier that manufactures folding cartons for both the fragrance and spirits industries.

“Both the spirits and fragrance markets are very similar in their packaging choices. There are a lot of competitors in both, so you really have to stand out in the mix,” says Curtis Packaging’s Droppo. “Since price points are often higher for both fragrances and spirits, t here is some room in budgets to use different types of decorating techniques,” he explains.

Although many liquor bottles aren’t sold in a carton, for some brands, the box is an important part of its identity. “Crown Royal is one spirit, for example, that is identified by its secondary packaging. It’s known for its purple box and crushed velvet bag. And I know if I’m shopping for a gift, the box is extremely important—you want something that looks unique,” says Droppo.

Droppo explains that many of his customers in the spirits industry that do use cartons have been requesting decorating techniques like hot stamping and embossing cartons, but also processes that offer a tactile feel.

“Different types of coatings are often requested, which have been especially popular over the past six to 12 months. We have done grit, soft touch and high pile coatings for different brands,” he says.
Although there are many similarities, there are also some differences in the decorating trends that are popular with both spirits and fragrances. “While coated boards have been popular for spirits, many fragrance brands have been requesting uncoated boards. They still have a tactile feel—it’s just a different look,” says Droppo. “We recently did a carton for Chanel, and we printed a metallic gold on the uncoated side of the board, which gave the box a unique galvanized look,” he explains.

Leon Hill, senior account executive, Multi Packaging Solutions (MPS), also says that textured coatings are popular for secondary packaging.

“We have also had a lot of requests for custom colors for spirits packaging. Vat-dyed boards are a great way for a custom color to look more consistent, and rich,” says Hill. “Brands have been requesting this, which results in consistent color all the way through, without white edges,” he explains.

Wrapping a carton in a fabric is another way to achieve a luxe look, with an upscale feel—like Mugler did with its linen-wrapped box, described in the previous section. “We used this decorating process for Jack Daniels Special Edition Frank Sinatra Select,” Hill explains.

Similar to the box created for Mugler Les Exceptions by Thierry Mugler, the elegant box created for Jack Daniels Special Edition Frank Sinatra Select was wrapped in cotton linen. It was also screen-printed and embellished with flocked vac trays and special ribbons, and features a complex, multiple magnet closure system. (MPS also delivered a limited run of a “Slimline” version of the same box, designed to fit on an airline duty free cart, and completed this project in a record time of four weeks.)

Dark colors—especially black—are the types of cartons many spirits brands choose, according to Hill. “The Jack Daniels carton had to be a very rich black,” he adds.

The exception to this “color rule” for spirits was the white carton MPS created for Crystal Head vodka. “The skull shaped bottle stands out, and the carton is unusual as well, for a spirits company, since it is pure white. We decorated the inside with an image of a blind, 3-D embossed skull,” Hill explains.

Another spirits brand that recently created a luxe presentation box for a special collection is Macallan. The brand recruited famed fashion photographer Mario Testino to create the imagery for its new luxury collection, which is for serious whiskey aficionados only, since it retails for $3,500. It’s called The Masters of Photography: Mario Testino Edition. Only 1,000 sets are for sale, globally, in four variations.

The set includes six miniature bottles of whiskey selected from six different casks, each representing one of the “six pillars of the perfect whiskey,” according to the brand. A full size single malt whiskey is also included, which represents each of the six pillars, blended together.

The sets are housed in a luxe, black lacquered box, signed and numbered, and designed by Testino. It was inspired by traditional Asian boxes. Each is decorated with one of four different photographs, and comes with an exclusive photo-archival booklet that contains 20 additional photos by Testino. Testino’s photographs for the collection were shot in Beijing, and capture “the spirit of the ultimate party.”

The Bottom Line

In the end, both spirits and fragrances are using packaging to convey a luxe look, and differentiate a brand. “Both industries, liquor and fragrance, are all about image. Brand marketers want to make sure the packaging is sexy, yet also tasteful and current with today’s trends,” says Bottle Coatings’ Dhillon. He adds, “Though I think every brand has its own distinct message to convey, through design, the universal truth is this—in the end, everyone wants to achieve that ‘wow’ factor.”