Sampé gin

When Željko Knežević and Matko Barun of fledgling distillery High Spirits planned to launch their premium gin, they realized that a superb packaging was needed to make some waves. Luckily they knew whom to turn to: Izvorka Jurić and her studio in Zagreb have repeatedly proven that they are a first class address for design that can make a difference.

Sampé gin is a strong alcoholic drink distilled domestically from the finest Croatian grapes. With its refined combination of herbal aromas that include pine, lemon, and Adriatic salt, it has a strong connection to the sea. Izvorka Jurić (Creative and Art Director) and Jurica Kos (Senior Designer) explored this link for their approach. They comment on the background of the name:

Many countries on the shores of the great sea know the legend of how St. Peter once caught the John Dory fish and left fingerprints on its body; that’s why this sea delicacy is still called by his name: Šanpjer, Sant-Pierre, Sampé. Inspired by an ancient tale, we gave the name Sampé to a premium gin that pays tribute to the Mediterranean – a mythical place where the divine touch permeates nature and its precious gifts.

This theme was then translated to a unique bottle and label design:

The originally designed bottle has the shape of the sea surface on the front. The brand name is mirror printed on the back of the bottle, so on the front, it is visible through sea waves and the gin liquid which gives the impression that the brand name Sampé is in the water. This position deforms the typography and creates exciting shapes and structures that change by turning the bottle in hand or changing the viewing angle. […] The light blue-colored glass and wooden stopper in the conical shape of a sailor’s cap contribute to the overall Mediterranean feel.

For the typography, Jurić and Kos selected Rector “for the ideal combination of monumental and graceful”. The lapidary serif with sharply cut shapes and majestic capitals was designed by Hrvoje Živčić and published by Production Type. On the labels, Rector is contrasted with a sans serif by another Croatian type designer: Nikola Djurek’s Brioni Sans, available from Typotheque.

The hopes of the distillery were fulfilled: Sampé won Gold in the IdejaX Best of Ad-Making Awards and Silver in the Dieline Awards, one of the world’s most prestigious packaging design awards.