The context
Becherovka is a legendary herbal liqueur produced in the Czech city of Karlovy Vary. Its origin goes back to the year 1807, when the one-of-a-kind recipe consisting of fine herbs was invented by Jan Becher. This recipe is kept secret ever since. Becherovka herbal liqueur is an icon in many markets. It stands for tradition. Recently, a “pinch of rebellion” has been brought to this popular liqueur, introducing a first-time-ever Unfiltered version. Produced in a small batch in the course of a precise and careful process, this cloudy, genuinely herbal liqueur with sophisticated yet natural taste and look compliments the original recipe of Becherovka. Despite the global decline in the consumption of the spirits, the consumers are still – or maybe even more – looking for products that offer special taste experience and have unique stories to tell, and the new Becherovka Unfiltered is a perfect find.

Our challenge
Our biggest challenge was to design a look that will elevate and not compete with the Original Becherovka. We aimed to add a premium touch to the portfolio of liqueurs produced by Jan Becher by designing a product that will celebrate the craftiness amplified by the small-batch unfiltered approach. Last but not least, the marketing goal was to launch a design that will drive curiosity and taste appeal of both the young audience and the lovers of the brand, “stirring the waters” both on- and off-trade. And by that driving a trial. The emotions arising at first sight had to be created on the shelves, behind the shop and bar counters.

Solution
The visual solution is an absolute celebration of the herbal, traditional, and crafty spirit of this new premium Becherovka. At the same time, it remains relatable to our target audience and the market context. The iconic shape of the bottle stayed the same, while its amber-brown glass with embossing underlined the modern classic style. The label is inspired by the pharmaceutical style of visuality, keeping the uncomplicated clean look and detailed crafting in perfect balance. Matte beige paper underlines the sensation. Forest green colour is used to emphasize the wild, genuine herbal spirit. To refer to the traditional art of the “maker” we kept the brand symbol (the cryptogram) in the centre of the label, but used golden hotfoiling and embossing for the right stand-out with the monogram of Jan Becher and the UNF (standing for Unfiltered) complementing it. All the elements are placed into a simple, yet detailed graphical composition and framing with the sign UNFILTERED crowning and overarching the label. The claims “Herbal Liqueur” and “Small Batch”, which make this product clearly defined as unique, are printed in gold.

The label design inspired a full identity, secondary packaging, POS materials and unique visuals used for communication and for launching the product.