Anaë, a new brand from Bollinger Diffusion launched this month, was created with a premium and sustainable positioning in mind, from its ingredients to its packaging. The textured glass bottle featuring 20% recycled content is designed for reuse, and the brand opted to forgo coffrets.
A new entrant to the French gin market, Anaë (Bollinger Diffusion) is a premium, organic spirit. Design agency Les Frenchy is behind the brand’s packaging. Les Frenchy Design Director Pascal Riviere tells Luxe Packaging Insight that the logo (Studio Maïss) - meant to depict Anaë’s commitment to the environment and quality of production - was the starting point for the packaging design. In the shape of a hexagonal shield supported by a hand, the logo features flowers, a bee and a pot still.
Echoing the form of the logo is the bottle’s hexagonal, textured FSC paper label in a pale green hue. Made using Avery Dennison’s Fasson Sorbonne and printed by Adic, the label combines digital printing, selective varnish and embossing. The “veins” on the paper are evocative of trees and biodiversity, while the fresh and modern green shade not typically used in spirits is a nod to nature, explains brand creator Pauline Raffaitin.
When the label is removed, the engraved brand name is revealed in the glass. The idea being to encourage consumers to keep the bottle and repurpose it, as a carafe or a vase for example. “We didn’t want something that was smooth and sterile; we wanted a bottle that was creative and dynamic, one that people are inclined to reuse,” Riviere explains. The hidden engraving nonetheless presented its own set of challenges: “we didn’t know if it would be technically possible, if it would be noticed by the consumer, or if it would be a problem during the label application process,” says Riviere.
For the bottle, Anaë opted for Saverglass’ stock Distil’er model, with its defined shoulders and deep punt. The vessel, which integrates 20% recycled extra-flint content from the glassmaker, was personalized using a finishing mold. Its distribution on the on-trade was also a factor in the design; the elongated neck and the geometric patterns engraved in the mold are said to offer bartenders and mixologists a better grip. An unvarnished beech wood stopper (Les Bouchages Delages) is laser-engraved with the “A” of Anaë.
Raffaitin highlights that the brand chose to forgo secondary packaging. “The bottle’s design sells itself without the need for a secondary pack, which is often just thrown away these days.”
Anaë, distilled using artisanal processes, is bottled in Cognac. While the majority of gins are made from grain alcohol, Anaë opted for a grape-based spirit, drawing on Bollinger’s DNA. The gin's botanicals include coriander seeds, fenugreek and chamomile. “We wanted a very aromatic gin that can be consumed neat,” concludes Raffaitin.
Launched in September, Anaë retails at €45.
BottleSaverglass
StopperLes Bouchages Delage
Label paperAvery Dennison/Manter
Label printerAdic
Packaging designLes Frenchy
Logo designStudo Maïss
