CREATING DISTILLERY LABELS
THE STORY BEHIND THE LABEL
Summit labels provided custom label solutions for the launch of a new line of gins and vodkas for Montis Distilling. Whistler’s newest craft distillery.
Montis Distilling is the latest exciting craft distillery to arrive in BC. Inspired by natural botanicals and their stunning surroundings, this summer Montis Distilling launched their inaugural line of elevated gins and vodkas.
“ Summit Labels have been nothing but helpful and solution-oriented as we developed our labels for Montis Distilling. As new business owners, we continually appreciate their guidance, creativity, responsiveness and support. We won't hesitate to continue working with Summit Labels as we build out our product line, knowing with confidence they will provide excellent customer service and a superior product!”
Bryanna Chen Montis Distilling
THE BRIEF
Approaching us through referrals from Four Winds, Whistler Brewing, and Fieldhouse, the Montis team presented an elegant picture of their dream branding. A collection of small batch, handcrafted liquors distilled in the fresh mountain air (with the crisp glacier water) of Whistler BC.
Montis Distiling had three main objectives with their labels:
- Set their products apart in a competitive marketplace with luxurious labels that use fine detail to make an impact on the crowded shelves.
- Find a solution that would deliver their dream of crisp, high-end brand imagery while making the most of their start-up budget.
- Deliver multi-layered, multi-labelled imagery in time for bottling and pre-launch.
THE APPROACH
The Montis team came looking for a partner to help them execute an exciting vision for an elevated, natural product line. One that was distilled in copper and deeply rooted in mountain landscapes and icy northern skies. It was a vision that was clear, high end, and cool as ice.
We worked closely with their team to create something as cutting edge as their product, moving away from the traditional foil look they came in with - towards a sleek high build. We embraced Montis’ desire for tactile, textured details by contrasting textured uncoated paper stock with raised, varnished details. Highlighting the fine detail work and creating the crisp, natural feeling they’d envisioned for a fraction of the price (not to brag, but this innovative approach saved Montis over 43%).
THE DETAILS
Montis is a natural product, and they aren’t shy about it. Each bottle has three slender and distinct labels, a wrap, a badge, and a neck, which leaves the majority of the bottle exposed to consumers. To maintain this look while saving time and money on printing and application, we cut all three labels at once using a single, multi-cavity custom die and applied the intricate high build details using a single custom screen. By packaging the labels this way, we saved Montis Distiling 18% of the overall cost.
To save application time, we slit the neck label off during rewind so the top each bottle could be hand-finished, while both the wrap and badge labels could still be applied mechanically. We used a recyclable 1.2mil PET liner, specially designed for applications requiring excellent clarity and easy machine application.
We printed the labels on a wet strength (water resistant) 70# classic solar crest paper stock, and finished them off with a matte UV. Maintaining the paper’s texture without dulling the sheen of the careful high build details.
To achieve the entire look in time for Montis’ desired launch date, including the detail work, ordering the screens and custom dies for each product, and the full printing process, we rushed the order. Shortening what could’ve taken an entire month to do into just two weeks of flurried action.
THE RESULTS
A crisp, clear, and gorgeous product which hit the shelves in time for Montis’ June 8th release. Over 62% savings on a unique, high-end, and functional labelling solution - the perfect mix of intricate detail work and natural tactile textures at a budget-friendly start-up cost.
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