Redefining 'The World's First Cocktail Brand'.

Whilst respecting its inherent and rich heritage we simplified the logotype ensuring that it can be used effectively at all scales across all print and digital applications. By creating channels where strokes 'intersect' and by enhancing the ball terminals on ascenders and descenders, we were able to inject more ‘craft’ which is representative of what's inside the bottle. This also introduced a new level of detail and made for a more rigorous and memorable logo.

We needed a logotype which would work across multiple products and sub-brands. Our thinking was inspired by the ‘high shoulder’ heritage of the traditional Bols Jenever earthenware bottle. Regardless of the shape of a vessel (bottle, can or new RTE tube) the consistent (high) placement of the Bols logotype (at a consistent angle) can be used as a tool to unify and align the packaging across the brand's drink sectors. The descender of the 'S' also made for a natural device allowing us to 'hook-in' and integrate sub brands where appropriate, namely the 'Cocktail Academy' and 'Cocktail Experience'.

The crest represents Bols' long heritage and is an integral brand asset. As with the logotype we were asked to create a reductive and contemporary version suitable for digital uses. It is used primarily as a 'sign-off' or endorsement – having kudos and credibility in spades.

As there would be a great deal of packaging and advertising required, we naturally developed repeat patterns as part of the 'graphical toolkit'. The 'floral' nature of these textures further associate the brand with botanical ingredients and the cocktail industry.

In parallel to honing the Bols 'mother-brand', we were tasked with establishing a distinctive look and feel for the RTE range. The aim was to challenge peoples' perceptions of a pre-mixed cocktail – especially as one of the SKU's saw a RTE cocktail in an innovative 200ml PET tube. We sought to elevate this perception by designing opaque matt black bottles and tubes featuring a repeat pattern of the Bols logotype screen printed in a gunmetal grey.

The names and colours of each of the 5 cocktails feature on a 'bellyband' that envelops the shoulder area of each of the vessels. 'Caslon' was retained for its historical relevance and kudos and is used to typeset our strapline/positioning statement. To contrast this classical serif typeface we introduced 'Söhne' to the mix. This contemporary yet timeless font family from the Klim Foundry was originally introduced to represent the Bols 'Ready to Enjoy' cocktail world, but it has now been adopted as the primary font that underpins the over arching brand identity.

In close collaboration with HERC Agency, we created digital ad layouts that brought the concept of 'magically simple' to life. The primary aim of HERC's campaign was to demonstrate the simplicity, convenience and 'magic' of the Bols Ready to Enjoy range in 3 easy steps.

To strategically and creatively consolidate all of the above we created a 'OBC' platform that not only aligns Bols' future packaging across different drink categories but also defines Bols' communication above and below the line. Through a consistent 'framing device', layout, colour, type hierarchy and product photography, Bols are now able to communicate very different products across various sectors without compromising on the quality of their new overarching brand look and feel.