Isle of Harris Gin – Postal Gifting Range

Based in the Outer Hebrides, the Isle of Harris Distillery’s business model strongly focuses on online postal orders. The challenges for their postal gifting packaging are:

• To provide an engaging, premium opening experience which enhances the beautiful, multi-award winning Gin and complementary glassware range.
• To enable the team at Harris to efficiently and cost effectively assemble the packaging.
• To be 100% recyclable and as materially efficient as possible.
• And most importantly, to safely transport fragile glassware through the post.

Approach

The packaging wherever possible seeks to engage the recipient through additional layers of information.

With the glass packs this takes the form of ‘Harris Serves’ showing potential glass specific serves for their Gin glass, High-ball, Martini and Copa glasses. In addition, when the glasses are uncovered the story of their hand-blown creation is introduced to underline their unique, bespoke nature.

The gift packs include an additional layer of detail with an inlay which serves to highlight the story of the distillery, and also to describe the botanicals which combine to create the gin’s unique maritime flavour. This inlay also serves to hold various permutations of hand-written, personalised gifting cards.

The debossing on the lids and inlays reflects the maritime nature of the gin and the print approach reflects the bottle label.

The debossed pattern connects across the gift and glass ranges (across the small gift and glass packs (Gin, High-ball) and the large ones (Copa)).

The bespoke, 1 piece glass holding elements feature a hinged mechanism to allow easy access to the glasses, whilst securely holding them in transit.

A balance of aesthetic appeal and structural stability has been reached to create a strong, postal safe pack with strong premium cues which can work equally as well in a retail environment.

Production

The packs are supplied flat to the client on Harris so that they can assemble them on island. All materials used are fully recyclable, including sealing stickers.

A combination of processes have been used to create the finished packs - Litho 4 colour printing, flexography and debossing create a tactile, premium feel.