Packaging Design for a New Zealand Distillery

Papaiti Gin

SCOPE

Papaiti Gin crafts premium, small-batch gins in Whanganui, New Zealand with a focus on locally sourced botanicals like kawakawa, horopito, and mānuka, celebrating the native landscape in every bottle.

Positioned as an artisan brand for discerning gin drinkers, Papaiti Gin offers a refined yet uniquely Kiwi experience in the boutique spirits market.

The visual identity and packaging system is timeless and elegant. It honours the river’s story and the region’s kingfishers through restrained typography and nature-inspired illustrations. A custom dieline echoes both the wings of a kingfisher and the awa (river) waves, conveying quality, provenance, and a strong sense of place.

Strategy
Branding
Packaging
Prepress Setup
Digital Mock-Ups

Kate Battersby
Ashley Alexander

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT
WHAT WE DID

The result is a brand that stands proudly on shelf and conveys the craft and care behind each drop.

Bottles of gin with one displaying a label with a hummingbird illustration and the text 'The Whanganui Distilling Co Ltd' on a light blue background.
A hand holding a cocktail glass with a golden-colored drink, garnished with a white flower, a sprig of green herbs, and a small white decorative element, set against a vintage brown tufted sofa.
Three bottles of Papati gin with different labels, one with Potager, one with Dry, and one with Orchard, arranged on a light blue background.
Close-up of a clear glass bottle with a light wooden cap and a blue label, indicating it's a hand-crafted gin with botanical ingredients.
Three bottles of Papaiti gin, with one bottle in the center in focus and the other two blurred, set against a light blue background.
A bottle of gin with a wooden and cream-colored cap, label stating 'Hand Crafted with Traditional & Garden Gin Botanicals,' and a label reading 'Whanganui River, Aotearoa, New Zealand.'
A clear bottle of Papati gin with a white label, placed on an orange tufted upholstered surface, with a white cap beside it.
Close-up of a clear glass bottle with a pastel pink and blue label, featuring a gold logo and text indicating it is distilled by the Whanganui Distilling Co. Ltd in New Zealand.
A clear bottle of Whanganui River Papaiti Gin, Orchard flavor, with a turquoise label and a wooden cap, lying on a light blue surface.
A clear glass bottle of Papatī Gin with a beige label that features gold, blue, and magenta text, and a bird illustration, set against a light blue background. 
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