Forty Spotted turns Gin on its head with striking new packaging

Tasmania’s Forty Spotted Gin has undergone a dramatic redesign by brand and packaging innovation agency Boldinc, including a category first bespoke bottle, specifically engineered to be displayed upside down.

According to creative director Steve Smith it was clear from the beginning that the brand needed to make waves. “We knew the historical link of Forty Spotted to Lark Distillery meant it was a high-quality product. tHowever, since launching in 2015, Forty Spotted Gin had become lost in a sea of similar Tasmanian craft gins – most also using native Pepperberry and some even using an identical bottle.” Smith says.

“With gin’s soaring popularity consumers are faced with an endless (not to mention confusing) amount of choice. For us it was clear that in order to create a distinctive, memorable brand, playing it safe was never an option.”

Shifting away from the well-trodden stories of rustic craftsmanship to one of luxurious purity allowed the brand to tap into an under utilised aspect of Tasmania’s DNA.

“Tasmania’s unexpected natural beauty and the quality of its local produce comes from its isolation.” explained Boldinc strategy director, Jarrod Robertson.

“With nothing but ocean between the island and Antarctica, it’s a place of pristine beauty, there’s a romantic notion that it remains uninterrupted by the modern world & has been left to flourish. On an overpopulated planet, this kind of place is increasingly rare. Built on the idea that Forty Spotted is truly an unexpected gin from the bottom of the world, an upside down bottle made perfect sense.” Robertson continues.

With packaging inspired by the Island’s rocky outcrops and sometimes wild oceans, every detail has been painstakingly addressed to carry a sense of place. From the glass’ unique texture to the engineered closure, right through to the embossed punt of the bottle.

Despite facing challenges at every turn (and quickly learning why no one else was already doing an inverted bottle) Smith says his team are proud to be redefining what it means to be a Tasmanian Gin: “Because when you’re from a tiny island at the bottom of the world, you get to make your own rules.”