Golden Rule Spirits: Distilling the essence of an iconic canned cocktail

Deliverables
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Messaging & Taglines
Packaging
Apparel
Print
Website

Team
Shawn Scott
Brand Strategy & Creative Direction
Nicola Broderick
Art Director & Lead Designer
Evan Bryan
Web Designer
Aia Arkoncel
Production Designer

Golden Rule Spirits, a budding brand in the vibrant world of canned cocktails, sought to establish itself as the first brand to deliver an exceptional bar-strength canned cocktail. With a commitment to quality ingredients and a passion for crafting memorable cocktail experiences, they approached SSStudio to help define their brand identity and create a visual brand system that would captivate consumers.

Our task was to distill the essence of Golden Rule Spirits and translate it into a compelling brand strategy, visual identity, and packaging system. This then led to further activations for apparel, print collateral, and a website to create a cohesive brand system.

Our journey began with a deep dive into the world of Golden Rule Spirits. We conducted extensive research to understand their values, history, and aspirations. Through collaborative workshops and brainstorming sessions, we worked closely with the Golden Rule Spirits team to uncover the soul of their brand.

The creative magic behind the Golden Rule brand was the work of our brilliant Art Director & Lead Designer, Nicola Broderick, who drew inspiration from vintage matchbook art you might pick up from well-known haunts off the beaten path, the brand's commitment to craftsmanship, and the founder’s appreciation of brightly colored outdoor apparel brands. The result was a visual identity that seamlessly fused tradition, craft, and colorful vibrancy to bring the spirit of Golden Rule Spirits to life.

Just like the cocktails themselves, every Golden Rule can has a unique story to tell. We designed a custom packaging system to elevate the liquid gold within and serve as a canvas for the brand's narrative, evoking memorable stories shared about each cocktail. The design celebrated the timeless elegance of cocktail culture while hinting at the bold, contemporary flavors contained within.

For their website, we ensured that the online experience was not just visually appealing but also user-friendly, making it easy for customers to explore, connect, and order cocktails directly from the site.

The collaboration between SSStudio and Golden Rule Spirits has yielded an iconic brand known for it’s playful and vibrant packaging, emulating their commitment to tradition, quality, and treating others as you'd like to be treated.