NATTY BOH VODKA
Our brand world for National Bohemian Vodka channels the spirit of mid-century optimism. A brand known for its much-loved brewery in Baltimore, Maryland, this work moves ‘Boh’ into the distilling sector for the first time in the brand’s history.
The brand world presents a utopian vision, where the sun always shines, and life is lived on the bright side. We invite you to ‘live pleasantly’, with playful illustrations of Natty Boh himself, suited and booted and ready to serve the perfect ‘Orange Crush’ cocktail, a popular local Baltimore signature drink.
The design provides a pallet of equites, which take you back to a laid-back time when everything seemed less complex. An era filled with advertising campaigns that now seem naive in their straightforwardness but are all the more charming for it.
Our project began with the core ‘mid-century’ concept and the bottle design itself. The 1950’s vision is showcased with a stripped back, minimalist pack layout that communicates a simpler lifestyle and allows the vodka’s natural golden colour to shine through. Gold foil details, debossing and blind embossing adorn the label, featuring batch numbering and the signature of the distiller. The label is completed with a boldly coloured, simplistic illustration of oranges and clean typography that is reminiscent of the graphics found in a vintage American grocery store.
The “Natty Boh” character has long been an icon of the city of Baltimore in the form of a sign that sits proudly atop the brewery. He now takes pride of place – front and centre on the orange twist vodka bottle. His distinct round features inspire a circle device that repeats throughout the design, further echoed in the bottle’s curved shoulders.
The closure is dipped in orange wax and features a gold pendant detail inspired by an original gold cufflink collectable, which was made for the brand in the mid-century and can still be found for sale on auction websites today.
To complete the design, bespoke tissue paper featuring a repeat pattern of the brand iconography and messaging wraps around the bottle. This brings the green grocer’s aesthetic into sharper focus, giving the impression that you’re unwrapping fruit when you first unveil the bottle.
These effortless and yet beautifully crafted details elevate the brand to a premium craft space. The liquid credentials are also enhanced with batch numbering and the signature of the distiller on the side of the label.
As Natty Boh himself exclaims…”Oh boy, what a vodka!“
