A message in a bottle

Credit: Macallan

When is a bottle more than a bottle?  When you’re buying a $50,000 whisky.

Macallan and Bentley have paired up to produce a new high-end whisky whose container doubles as a work of art.  According to an article from Fast Company, the “bottle” (which probably isn’t even the proper term) for Macallan Horizon incorporates glass, aluminum, leather, wood, and copper.  

The most complex part of the whole design apparently is the closure, which is, “inspired by the Bentley Drive Dynamics Control rotary knob.”

There is a video that illustrates (or at least simulates) the process used to create this thing.  It is mesmerizing.  The subtle message seems to be, if they put this much effort into the packaging, imagine how good the whisky must be.

As the article states, this product obviously isn’t for everyone. But the broader point is, the container tells a story.  Even for much lower-end products, marketers should think carefully about the emotional story packaging is telling about the brand and the stuff inside. Packaging can be a key differentiating attribute.