The Kraken Rum

One of the benefits of being over 21 is exploring the labels in a liquor store, and I think I get more excited about alcohol packaging than I do about alcohol. I saw the Kraken Rum in a store today and fought the urge to buy it solely to own such a magnificent bottle.

The unique shape of the bottle caught my eye (traditional Victorian rum bottle), and I noticed the design had a very refined look, giving a nautical 1800's feel. This alludes to the romantic association of rum and pirates, but without the obvious buccaneer as shown on many other rum labels.

The design was done by Stranger & Stranger of London, but the press kits were designed by Dead As We Know It, a Brooklyn agency. 50 Press Kits were produced in a time span of 3 weeks, with a production cost of $1500. It included a personalized letter, Kraken teeth, Kraken ink, quill, poster, scientific journal, DVD of Kraken tales, and of course, the rum itself, all contained in an exquisite illustrated wax-sealed box.

This entire kit was a true labor of love. Only 50 were created and each kit was silkscreened, giving it a personal touch with ink smears and natural flaws. Most of the decisions were driven by the budget, in this case, the smaller the budget, the better! At first we were going to outsource the production, but 50 was too small and expensive of a number. We decided to just do everything in house and with the help of interns, we managed to turn cardboard boxes into a kit people are on the hunt for.

(Dead As We Know It)

Check out the website for Kraken Rum too! The whole identity is extraordinary.