Monkey Shoulder whisky, part of William Grant & Sons, has introduced a revamped bottle design. It represents the first major change to the brand’s bottle since its launch in 2005.
The redesign is debuting in global travel retail, supported by high-profile activations in key airports including London Heathrow, Paris Charles De Gaulle and Dubai International Airport starting from mid-2024.
The design features a bold refresh of the label and a -25% reduction in glass, resulting in a lighter bottle. It features a longer neck for an easier pour and a split label design with a larger brand logo to improve shelf appeal.
The three monkeys symbol takes pride of place at the centre of the revamped label, while three debossed monkeys feature on the wooden cork.
The design was optimised with an AI-powered visual analysis, which tested key features and label viewability alongside rigorous consumer testing. The result is a bottle and label which maintain the brand’s premium cues and distinctive aesthetic, while improving brand recognition, ease of comprehension and visual appeal.
Inside the bottle, Monkey Shoulder whisky stays the same. The liquid is made with single malt whiskies from the Speyside region, selected in small batches then blended together.
Monkey Shoulder, a 100% malt whisky made for mixing, enjoyed double-digit value and volume growth from 2022 and 2023. The redesign seeks to leverage this momentum and continue the brand’s mission of breaking category conventions.
“This is the perfect time for a packaging refresh for Monkey Shoulder. With strong growth momentum and ambitions across the globe in key markets such as the US, UK, France, Australia, Nigeria, Poland and Taiwan, among others, now is the time to push forward with an innovative look and feel,” commented Monkey Shoulder Global Brand Director Ifan Jenkins.
“With this refreshed look, we intend to continue recruiting a new generation of whisky drinkers and further inspire people to discover Monkey Shoulder as the perfect spirit for cocktails. The redesign is the first in a series of bold moves for Monkey Shoulder, with it being part of an exciting new refresh to our entire brand visual identity and communications platform, which will be launching in 2024.” ✈
