Two Drifters, a carbon-negative rum based in Devon, is an innovative and inspiring brand founded on genuine passion for rum and the environment. It also happens to be very tasty. Yet the brand wasn’t getting the recognition or traction it deserved. That’s why founders Russ and Gemma Wakeham reached out to us for help. Our brief was to revolutionise the Two Drifters brand identity so that it would accurately reflect its full potential.
The challenge was to hero the values of the brand which are grounded in provenance and uncompromising sustainable processes whilst delivering a modern, confident and charismatic design.
The inspiration for the design concept arose from the combination of three elements which are unique to Two Drifters: the fun and exuberance of the rum category, the brand’s sustainability credentials, and Gemma and Russ’s love and passion for Devon. The final creative concept creates a synthesis of these elements through a bright and charismatic aesthetic that reflects the coastal beat of Devon.
On the environmental front, our work for Two Drifters proved to be a veritable collaborative effort that genuinely had sustainability at its heart. Russ and Gemma set the foundation for their sustainable efforts which we helped refine, enhance and extend. We ensured to tailor our recommended printers, production processes and label substrates to go hand-in-hand with the client’s green ethos.
The result is packaging that boasts a number of sustainable enhancements including a 100% compostable seal, labels printed on 95% sugar cane fibre, an FSC wooden top with natural cork and a beautiful UK produced bottle with glass 230g lighter than the previous structure.
We also used the front of the bottle to hero a unique fact which highlights the brand’s dedication to the environment and more prominently spreads the message of sustainability. Placed within the foot of the label, we confirm the amount of carbon the Two Drifters distillery has removed from the atmosphere since the company begun, which is currently 16.724 tonnes. This number will be updated with every print run and for these reasons, the labels are printed in smaller quantities (by a local printer based in Devon – of course!).
Besides being an enjoyable working experience and collaboration for both us and Two Drifters, the duo has confirmed that our redesign has been a success. Since launching the new look, business has increased. Gemma feels that while their ‘rums make people buy another bottle, Here Design’s redesign makes people buy the first’.
