Skillogalee Packaging
Established in 1970, Skillogalee, or Skilly as it is affectionately known, is a remarkable single-estate property in the Skilly Valley, within the Clare Valley—a must-visit destination for travellers and a hub for the local community.
When purchasing the property and business in 2020, ex-pat South Aussie Simon Clausen had a vision to premiumise and evolve the Skillogalee brand whilst honouring its rich history and proud legacy.
Our strategy to help achieve his vision was centred around retaining the brand’s heart and soul, enhancing its sense of place and instilling a premium contemporary edge. An evolution, rather than a revolution that would speak to a new generation of drinkers while staying true to its roots.
With a rich colour palette inspired by the site’s green panorama and a logomark that references the brand’s history and physical contours established, we were confident in pursuing a less is more approach when it came to packaging.
From stakeholder research conducted in our earlier strategy phase, we knew that the illustrated contours on the existing labels held equity for the brand but also felt somewhat heavy.
Rather than discarding the contours altogether, we replaced them with a single horizontal undulating diecut through the centre of each label. To support this refined and paired-back contour, we omitted any other form of illustration. Instead, carefully selecting embellishments and type to elevate and contemporise the packaging.
The new logomark was prominently featured at the top of each label, with a gold pillow emboss creating contrast against a highly textural uncoated paper stock.
The capsules presented further opportunity to enhance the positioning and sense of place, by providing space for the roundel on their tops and contours on their sides.
But the final addition to the packaging, and arguably the most pivotal, was the inclusion of the unique and emotive Skillogalee stories on the back labels.
After all, what really stood out to us when conducting our initial research and speaking to people from far and wide was that everybody seemed to have a Skillogalee story!
