Gin is undeniably the fastest growing spirit category in the last 5 years. Revenue in the gin segment globally amounts to US$12,997m in 2021 and is expected to grow annually by 10.40% for the subsequent 5 years. More than half of the global gin consumption stems from the UK, which is also where most gin brands are based.

With over 300 gin brands in the UK, tapping into the progressively saturating gin market requires a clear brand direction and strategy to flourish. LoneWolf, the gin brand by craft brewery BrewDog in Scotland faced that exact challenge after their launch in 2017.

In 2019, the Scottish gin label with a single SKU of its dry gin version was taken off the shelves from their main supermarket chain, Tesco. Sales dropped despite the trail blazing gin growth in the market. A resurgence campaign was necessary to revive the brand.

Rebranding campaign

LoneWolf engaged creative agency LOVE to reinvigorate the LoneWolf packaging design with a fresh rebrand, ensuring the bold personality of the master BrewDog brand was reflected across all touchpoints.

LoneWolf identifies itself as the rebel in the spirits category. Its brand ethos to never follow the pack, to defy category conventions and to lead with attitude over whimsical botanicals, are piercing right through the hearts of drinkers who aspire to be bold and unorthodox.

New labelling

As an independent distillery with their own still, the Aberdeenshire distillery pride their grain to bottle approach with “no corner-cutting or money scrimping”, inspiring the integration of the copper foil into the finishing of their new label design. The new label has also reduced the production cost by removing the silicone band which provided no design value and contributed negatively to the environment.

The new labels by California-based artist Bioworkz shows off his unique steam-punk and tattoo designs, bringing to life BrewDog’s attitude for their craft gin. The fierce illustration of a wolf crafted with the botanicals identify each gin’s flavour and the colours from their spirits through choice of packaging make them “pop” on the shelves.

Post rebrand, LoneWolf has regained its listing in Tesco and increased retail listings in the UK by 500% with the six main national retailers.  Sales for the original Dry Gin has increased by 185% and 512% for all variants.

New flavours

Pink gin proved to be the main driver in overall gin sales in 2019 from examples of Beefeater, Edinburgh Gin, Burleighs and Malfy. This has motivated the creation of colourful gins to attract new drinkers around the world who seek playful products.

On top of the original Dry Gin, LoneWolf released four more variants: Cactus & Lime, Peach & Passionfruit, Cloudy Lemon and Gunpowder.

Cactus & Lime Gin 700ml 40%

Clear liquid, with the botanicals represented in green on the label, this is a citrus gin with kaffir lime and cactus flower, called the Queen of Night as it only appears after dark.

Peach & Passionfruit Gin 700ml 40%

Peachy pink colour in a transparent bottle, this fruity gin is infused with white peach and sweet passionfruit, touched up with yuzu for the citrus sharpness.

Cloudy Lemon Gin 700ml 40%

The hazy gin is a rendition to the hazy IPA that is currently so popular in the craft beer world. The frosted bottle adds a cloudy effect to the yellow spirit from macerated fresh Sicilian lemon peel.

Gunpowder Gin 500ml 57%

In a matte black bottle, the high proof edition of the series combines oriental spices from pink, black and Szechuan peppercorns, peels of Paraguayan bitter oranges, Sicilian lemons and Mexican pink grapefruits.

G&T Can 33ml 6.5%

The ready-to-drink segment is trending and the LoneWolf G&T can adopts the same wolf design whilst dropping its ABV from 8.8% to 6.5%.

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