Coley Porter Bell has designed the bottle and secondary packaging for a new Royal Salute Whisky marking the sixtieth anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.
The brief for the The Diamond Tribute bottle was to develop a permanent expression in the Royal Salute range to commemorate the timeless elegance and dignity displayed by the monarch over the course of her 60 year reign.
It also references the origins of the brand - the first bottles of Royal Salute were produced in June 1953 at the time of the coronation and have since been available in three different glazes denoting the rubies, sapphires and emeralds of the Imperial State Crown.
The Royal Salute The Diamond Tribute is made of high-grade porcelain, manufactured by ceramics experts Wade. This is then covered in a high gloss azure glaze to give it a richer, more lustrous surface.
The description of the rare whiskies sourced from the vaults of the Strathisla distillery is printed in gold directly onto the neck of the bottle, supported by the symbol of the cross keys which further reinforces the preciousness of the aged whisky stocks that are used in the blend.
The branding is made of a metal badge mounted on a recess on the front of the moulded bottle. A secondary paper label contains the vault batch number and the signature of Royal Salute's master blender Colin Scott. The stopper is mounted by a discreet, faceted crystal that crowns the bottle in tribute to the Diamond Jubilee.
The secondary packaging reinforces the idea of the precious and rare whiskies. The two-door opening is reminiscent of the vault doors at the distillery. The radiating lines that decorate the box are an abstract interpretation of the light refractions of a diamond.
"We were trying to provide Diamond Tribute with a distinctive identity but ensure it sits within the context of the Royal Salute brand," commented Richard Clayton, Coley Porter Bell Creative Director. "This was about creating a timeless expression. So rather than using the overt decorative design cues of the traditional luxury sector we opted for a more restrained and contemporary approach."