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Monkey Shoulder bottle detail showing 3 pewter monkeys

BRAND CREATION, STRUCTURE, DESIGN

A good name can set up a question. A good design answers it. Monkey Shoulder disrupts the provenance mould and provides the barman with bar talk.

  • GLENMORANGIE

    CHALLENGE

    How to seamlessly balance the unexpected with the familiar, where most brands do one or the other to a fault. How to create a new ‘contemporary engaging brand’ in a well worn category.

    SOLUTION

    Rooted in whisky lore, the brand name Monkey Shoulder is inspired by, and named in honour of, the distillery malt men. These men acquire a stoop, known colloquially as ‘monkey shoulder’, from repeatedly turning the barley by hand…
    A clear, contemporary bottle is branded with a trio of three-dimensional monkeys, appropriately positioned on the shoulder.
    Each monkey represents one of three malts which form the blend. These iconic, polished, pewter monkeys are supported by a crafted, typographic label, setting out the malt men story. The minimal bottle, surprising name and story label create a tactile and distinctive presentation.

    “The iconic bottle design, complete with three brass monkeys — each representing one of the constituent single malts — on the bottle’s shoulder, is sure to attract confident, liberal minded people with discerning taste and ensures it’s not one to hide away in the drinks cabinet!”

    THEDRINKSSHOP.COM

Monkey Shoulder team shovelling grain
Monkey Shoulder Batch 27 label design
Original sketch and final production of pewter monkies
Packshot of full Monkey Shoulder bottle and label design
Monkey Shoulder event image showing DJ and people sitting on grass
THEDRINKSSHOP.COM

“The iconic bottle design, complete with three brass monkeys — each representing one of the constituent single malts — on the bottle’s shoulder, is sure to attract confident, liberal minded people with discerning taste and ensures it’s not one to hide away in the drinks cabinet!”

WAITROSE COOKS
BENRIACH
MORE WORK
Project awards
Project awards
MORE WORK
Monkey Shoulder advert showing hand-carved bottle within a tree stump
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