This is a reproduction of one of my final project reports submitted as part of my degree in Industrial Design. The contents for the most part have remained the same as the original paper and was relevant in the context of the time it was written. Therefore it may or may not contain discrepancies in content when applied to today's standards and developments. Originally written in May 2014.

The Project

Covering a design project intended to portray a fictional beverage product within a commercial context, this project followed the design and development of Three Line Premium Whiskey, a Japanese whiskey aimed at upper class luxury markets. By positioning TLW as a premium label, it is intended that the brand would create a trend with high demand, taking advantage of both the expansion of the existing alcoholic drink market and growth of the Asian middle class.  As an assignment for my undergraduate degree in Industrial Design, the project covered the exploration of the market, products, and branding of Three Line Whiskey with the subsequent development focusing on the generation of marketing material, point of sale and website design and content.

The Brand

Influenced through various cultural values in the East Asian region,Three Line Whiskey is a premium whisky brand that showcases attributes of bamboo and the jasmine flower in both in the final product. Reflected in the ingredients of the product itself and the philosophy of the brand Three Line Whiskey uses bamboo to represent humility and strength alongside the jasmine flower to represent elegance. Three Line Whiskey is a whiskey that represents not a single country, but the entire continent as a unified front in order to face up its contemporary western rivals.

Concept Design and Development

Market

As mentioned above, TLW is aimed at the young adult markets in the rising global middle class(Yueh, 2013; Kharas, 2010; World Economic Forum, 2009), particularly Eastern Asia. By aiming for the young middle class, TLW is aiming to take advantage of the increase of disposable income in this segment. Being at the lower age group among alcoholic drinkers, the demographic is expected to be highly influenced by trends and fashions. By positioning TLW as a premium label, it is intended to create a brand trend with high demand, taking advantage of the expansion of the existing alcoholic drink market and growth of the Asian middle class (Mahbubani, 2014; Keating, 2014).

With worldwide whiskey demand constantly increasing hub countries like Singapore have become the largest consumer of whiskey per capita (Roberto). And as demand soars, potential shortages (Tepper) mean that TLW can come in to take advantage of this expanding market. TLW is a whiskey that represents not a single country, but the entire continent in order to face up its contemporary western rivals, a move inspired by the tensions between Japan and China(BBC, 2014).

Product

Three Line Whiskey (TLW) is an alcoholic drink targeted at the rising population of young affluent people in Asia, predominately Eastern Asia. Asian whiskey distilleries do exist but are not as wide spread as their western counterparts. The unique selling points of the TLW brand is in the infusion of Jasmine flowers as well as the distinctive aging process in Bamboo rather than traditional wood casks. Combined, this represents the roots of TLW in Asia, separating it from its more localized competitors.

There are three product lines for TLW, namely Classic, Bamboo and Diamond. Classic is the staple in the lineup, being the mainstay product for general sales. The bottle design was made to be similar in proportions to existing whiskey bottles, but stylized with Asian influences in design. Bamboo is the same product as the Classic, packaged within a Bamboo cask, sold as a gift item. As the business culture of giving gifts to associates is commonplace within Asia, it provides the buyer an attractive and visually unique package to present. The bottle itself was designed to be able to fit within the bamboo cask and to be tall and sleek, in line with the logo and the brand image. Detail on the bottle was kept to a minimum as excessive detail would detract from the humble yet distinguished appearance of the bottle when in its cask.

The Diamond range is a lineup that was not initially planned for but fills a section of the marketing mix aimed at an even more premium whiskey, even when compared to the Classic and Bamboo lines. Aged for longer, the Diamond range showcases its higher pedigree with a completely different packaging aesthetic, favoring angular facets to flat surfaces.

Branding and Labeling

Design of the brand and the label of TLW centered on the ingredients and the bamboo casks used in the aging process. The main logo revolved around having the main USP’s of the brand, bamboo casks, jasmine infusion, and a heritage in East Asia, be clearly identifiable. Color selection of both the logo and bottle labels were taken with positioning in mind with embossed gold on a black backdrop chosen due to its significance as a representation of affluence in both eastern and western cultures.

The three main graphical components of the logo, the bamboo stalk, seal, and jasmine flower, are also designed to reflect the values of the brand. Bamboo has a significant cultural significance in many Asian cultures and represents humbleness in TLW. It is portrayed as three vertical lines which were originally stylized as brushstrokes, analogous to traditional Chinese Calligraphy. However, in order to bring the logo in line with the clean premium look intended for the brand, they were simplified into diminishing lines.

The seal is a representation of the signature seals used in China, Japan and Korea. Stylistically the seal follows the aesthetic of the more square Chinese seals with characters symbolizing bamboo and the jasmine flower. The flower itself is portrayed on the bottom of the logo as an accent feature; a softer counterpart to the straight edges of the bamboo and a representation of elegance to TLW. Content and information labeling for TLW is dependent on location. Although most countries if not all have indications for alcohol content and health risks, other markings such as brand name, location of branding, and requirements of certain labels. For example, beverages not produced in Japan are required to be labeled as imported in order to be legally sold in Japan(ICAP, 2013).

Design Promotion and Advertising

Promotion Material

With the geographic location of sales in mind, the marketing campaign for TLW was designed to be relatively simple. Marketing would be targeted through print ads in relevant publications and promotional posters at POS sites. Sales locations are aimed at Duty Free shops, direct to bars and restaurants, and specialty or high-end liquor stores.

The absence of standalone promotional material outside the print ads is intentional and designed to function as an indication of where TLW is sold. Only outlets that display the promotional material will be able to stock it, with the exception of specialty stores. This marketing strategy is designed to create limited but targeted exposure to emphasize the image of luxury through perceived scarcity.
Design wise, the marketing material is centered on the product and two fashion models hired to be the “face” of TLW. All marketing material is to be accompanied by the tagline “A Line above the Rest”.

The tagline plays on the name of the brand, bringing in a portion of the product name into the slogan while simultaneously suggesting the product’s position above its competitors. In addition to this, fashion models Gwen Lu and Daniel Lieu, are featured within the promotional material and the POS as an aspirational model for the target market. The image of both Gwen and Daniel offer a human focus to which the market can relate and aspire to. Both being fashion models drives home the idea of a luxury and premium lifestyle.

Point Of Sale

Design of the POS unit focused on emphasizing the tagline of the product. Bearing in mind sales locations, the POS was designed to be a small counter display unit(CDU) which showcases one bottle. Initially there were plans for three versions of the CDU, intended to display each product line. However, as the image of the brand developed, the necessity to showcase the older “Classic” square bottle was deemed unnecessary as it would have already become a staple product for those familiar with the brand. To showcase the remaining two product lines, the basic design is to have a center plinth with under lighting, on top of a wood effect base. The black center plinth provides a contrast to the brighter wood effect and functions as a backdrop to the bottle to enable it to stand out. A screen-printed gold logo of TLW is put on the sloping front to clearly identify the brand. Both units also feature a back panel which showcases the current marketing material print.

However, there were several considerations made to create distinctive display units. The base unit, which is used for the Bamboo product line, is designed as per the description above without any extra adornments. The Diamond line version is near identical to the base unit with the addition of a diamond textured plastic insert. This plastic insert has 3D facets which mimic facets found on a diamond and on the bottle. By placing this plate on top of the wood effect, the surface of the display can relate more directly towards the design and philosophy of the Diamond Bottle and product line in a similar way that the simple wood effect of the base design relates to the design intent of the Bamboo range.

Website

To accompany the marketing material mentioned previously, a trade website was also created for the purposes of product reference and trade enquiry. The website was not designed to be an online store and no products are sold directly by TLW to customer. As a trade website, it serves to allow traders from any region to learn more about TLW and should they want to stock it, provide a contact point.

Aesthetically, the appearance of the website was designed to simulate an airport lounge tabletop and provide a very businesslike aesthetic. Black leather and polished wood are used as textures to emphasize the premium offerings of TLS while also identifying with the target market of young professionals. The inclusion of jasmine flower buds offers a reference to the ingredients of TLW while also providing a softer image to contrast the often cold business aesthetic. It also provides an additional visual cue to the idea of a tabletop. Marketing material used in stores are also used throughout the website.

In terms of features and number of pages, there are only several that are key. Firstly on the landing page, there is an option for the site in alternative languages. This relates to the premise that TLW is available and targeted towards multiple nations and thus facilitates for that. Secondly, the inquiry pages are done separately for public inquiries and for trade inquiries. Direct to consumer marketing is done through targeting social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Google+. The result of this is two separate divisions to tackle both sales and distribution of TLW through the website and consumer relations through social media.

Conclusion

As Three Line Whiskey has developed, it has come into its own and defined itself as a brand that emphasizes premium luxury onto its whiskey. The connections to its Asian heritage are clearly identifiable and relatable for its target market. With talents of Gwen Lu and Daniel Lieu as the faces of the brand, TLW can be expected to be among the forefront of the next generation of whiskey drinkers in Asia. However, as the brand expands, the brand will need to better define the character and aesthetic of each product line ensuring that the character of each line is shown just as much as the brand values. Also, with current demand from China dropping, it is in the interest of TLW to focus its efforts on the South Eastern regions where growth is still strong. It may also prove beneficial for TLW to consider developing its brands to cater towards a more mature market to both encapsulate another market segment and to provide its current target market a loyalty option as they age.The project has been successful in exposing the design elements within a commercial design context. Taking into account the separate commercial requirements during each stage of the design process allowed for the author show an appreciation for the commercial aspects of design.

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