Iconic cognac house Martell unveiled Martell VS Single Distillery, a cognac from a single distillation source, with design by Nude Brand Creation (nudebrandcreation.com).

The packaging design highlights elements of the product story to provide differentiation within the category and help consumers to better understand what makes it special.

A pioneer amongst cognac houses, Martell has a unique history spanning more than 300 years.  It has always been dedicated to craft and innovation, and now it is planning to disrupt the VS category by launching a single distillation expression.

The iconic shape of the traditional ‘montre’ cognac bottle is the inspiration for the new bottle shape. Revived for the Martell VS Single Distillery Spirit, it is simple but elegant, which provides a point of difference versus the traditional VS category bottle shape.

A restructured cap is sealed with a beige paper ribbon, revealing a cork, while a single label runs down the neck.

An offset VS disrupts the usual Martell label arrangement and two lines of copy explain the story behind the single distillation source, to draw consumer’s attention. Warmth injected into the label reflects the liquid colour and fruity notes of the cognac.

Mike Parsonson, partner at Nude Brand Creation, says: “Within the cognac category, there were very few brands talking about their product story. “Today’s consumers are interested in brands with a compelling back story so we knew dialling up this aspect of the story would resonate with them.

“We took some inspiration from the craft drinks sector, but gave it a modern twist by adding drama and vibrancy into the design. At the same time we communicated the single distillation process in an easy to understand way.”

An embossed swift in the glass dramatizes the brand’s strong iconography and reinforces the brand’s origins in the 18th century when Jean Martell first set off from Jersey on a journey to find the best brandy production methods in France.

Craft elements introduced to the bottle will disrupt the traditional sector, but the new design still maintains consistency with the Martell portfolio.