London studio Butterfly Cannon worked with Indian beverage company Diageo to rebrand their latest exclusive single malt whisky brand, Godawan. During their initial research trip to the distillery in Rajasthan, Butterfly Cannon learnt that the state bird, the Great Indian Bustard, known as Godawan in Hindi, is a critically endangered species, with barely 120 birds remaining in all of India.
Butterfly Cannon’s marketing manager Chris Joscelyne says, ‘From its inception, Godawan whisky has been conceived around three pillars – conservation, sustainability and conscious consumption.’ They also wanted to create a brand that appeals to a more youthful Indian consumer who are interested in purchasing products that have meaning and purpose.
The craft distillery is located in the heart of the desert and is concentrated on the protection and restoration of local key bodies of water, along with safe habitats for feeding and nesting for the birds. Every bottle of Godawan whisky sold contributes to these efforts.
The sustainability of the artisan spirit’s production process was a factor that informed everything from where the barley, the whisky’s key ingredient, was sourced, all the way to the paper selection for the packaging. When considering using certified recyclable material that also conveyed a hand-crafted nature, Joscelyne says, ‘Materica Gesso was the best option.’
This sustainable approach, along with the Godawan bird and scenery of Rajasthan, informed the packaging design. The Godawan wordmark is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional local typeface, the patternwork evokes the area’s local crafts and there is a hand-drawn illustration of the endangered bird.
