Australian independent brewmasters Murray’s Craft Brewing Co were stepping up their range of spirits, enlisting us to develop the brand identity for a new coffee liqueur.  Darkside is the perfect combination of cold brewed coffee and carbon filtered vodka, featuring a unique nutty flavour derived from native wattle seed.

The product was tasteful and refined, to help it make a strong impression in trendy bars and premium liquor stores required a dose of difference.  Our design exploration turned to the dark side, with a goal to bring new energy and a more playful attitude to liqueur.  We embraced the idea of channeling the essence of the night, inspired by the dark and smooth product with notes of mischief and mystery.

Simplified eye graphics create an instantly recognisable visual presence, embellished on the bottle with glow in the dark ink.  The graphic versatility of the eyes allowed them to be used in a variety of subtle ways, combined with equally minimal stars or peering out from behind foliage. The bold Darkside wordmark was inspired by night time shadows, with a diffused and grainy look fading across the logo.

The final product is a liqueur that looks like nothing else in the category, a drink that tells a story about its inspiration and intrigues with eye-catching simplicity.  A product that’s all about mischief, never malevolence, because the dark side is always better when you make it back.