Challenge

Our brief was beautifully simple: “Capture the essence of what we love most about gin and drinking gin together in a brand and bottle… that can resonate with vodka and gin lovers locally and internationally”. The design had to feel deeply personal to the founders while standing confidently on the global stage. Intimate in story, iconic in form.

Approach

Through conversation with the founders, memory and mood, one idea rose to the surface.

A bottle inspired by sea glass, as if shaped slowly over time by the ocean. Smoothed edges. Sun-faded tones. Effortless in spirit. We stripped away labels and flashy embellishments to create a powerfully simple expression. One that transformed their coastal inspiration into a timeless icon.

An Iconic Bottle

As co-founder Tom Ackerley put it:
“We’re looking for a bottle that feels right at home nestled into the sand or slipped into a backpack, but can show up confidently on a back bar.”

Our response was intentional simplicity that cut through the category and cast a fresh light on Australian gin. The distinctive rounded cubic form feels as though it has been softened by the sea over time – smooth, tactile, and effortless in hand. The aqua-like matte blue coating radiates coastal freshness while eliminating back-label show-through, allowing the bottle to exist as a sculptural object rather than a traditional spirit packaging.

The profile borrows cues from a hip flask – compact, portable, sessionable. Indented side contours offer a natural grip, reinforcing the ritual of passing it around with friends. It feels relaxed yet refined. 

Sustainability remains central to our thinking. The compact form reduces glass weight and shipping impact, while the label-free aesthetic invites reuse.

Brand mark

Flowing on from the organic bottle form, the wordmark and symbol feel as though they were sketched by hand on a beach club napkin. The spiralling palm tree captures the idea of endless stories and memories from summer escapades together as friends. It’s imperfect, expressive and full of movement.

Result

Our ambition was to translate a deeply personal founder story into a globally resonant brand.

The result is a bottle that feels as if it has always existed, a timeless icon in blue that captures the essence of effortless summer escapes and sets a new benchmark for Australian gin.

“We came into this process with a very hazy idea of the product we wanted to create, and every interaction with Squad helped clarify and elevate that vision. They are masters at listening to their clients, reducing their ideas down to their essence, and then transforming them into unique and beautiful concepts.” Charlie Maas, Papa Salt CEO