Whitespace Creative – Graphite Gin

Graphite Gin by Stillman Distillery is a hand-crafted culinary delight infused with Périgord Truffles – the black diamonds of France. Its unusually dark hue is unchanging, even when mixed with tonic and lends great visual intrigue to the product. Stillman Distillery was established in March 2018 by a husband and wife duo from Johannesburg, who relocated to the Cape and promptly turned their hobby into a full-time passion. They approached our team at Whitespace Creative with a brilliant idea for a unique brand that needed creative direction and strategic brand architecture. Given the couple’s experimental and hard-working nature, Whitespace Creative repositioned the distillery as a boundary-pushing innovator of spirits. Dark and mysterious, Graphite Gin speaks to the nature of discovering hidden treasures of the earth. We reflected on the carbon chain – its presence in truffles and graphite, and the lux link to diamonds – as well as the roles that extraction, distillation and infusion play in the production of this Gin.Our design approach was to enhance the distinct colour of the Gin, as it reflects the unique black truffle-infused flavour and premium positioning of the product. Excessive decorative elements would detract from the dramatic visual impact of the Gin. We opted for a contemporary, elegant design, with all black labels and a logotype finished with a gunmetal grey foil in the colour of natural graphite. Finally, we added a booklet neck tag with cocktail recipes and pairing suggestions to enjoy the spirit. In keeping with its premium content, the bottle is sealed with black wax and stamped with the Stillman logo, which serves as a subtle representation of this bold distillery.