Clandestine Press
Brief: Rebrand the old Irish moonshine drink ‘Poitin’ for a young artsy chic audience named 'Johanna'. ‘Johanna’ is a female aged 18-24 years old, who has just graduated with a degree in fashion and has a small stall in East London. She’s a spontaneous, social person who loves to discover new places. Background: Poitin is a traditional Irish distilled beverage. It was made illegal in 1661, as the government wanted the ability to tax all alcohol and couldn’t easily tax farm liquor. It was only legalised again in Ireland in 1997, though it never completely went away; the illegal form was homebrewed under the radar, something that was popular, accepted socially and common.
"A Drink Full of Secrets and Charming Details" Outcome: ‘Clandestine Press’ is inspired by the drinks heritage and the essence of the swinging 60s - a cultural revolution that took place in the 1960s, emphasising modernity and hedonism. The name ‘Clandestine Press’ refers to independently published and distributed underground newspapers associated with the counterculture in the 60s.
Design: The outer packaging is inspired by the act of ‘brown-bagging’ - consuming an alcoholic drink while concealed to drink in public places. This has been incorporated into the design to emphasise the ‘secretive’ nature of Poitin. The packaging has been created using cut-out paper and risograph printed, with imagery that gives hints to the drink's contents. The user unwraps the outer paper packaging to reveal a simple whiskey bottle. The bottle is printed with a halftone dot image of a model from the 60s - when the bottle is twisted the face changes its expression.
