Pearlfisher and Cuban artists reposition Havana Club rum

Hand-crafted credentials are brought out in new Havana Club 7 design, which has also been inspired by Cuban people and their “sense of humanity”.

By Tom Banks May 9, 2016 5:56 pm May 9, 2016 5:56 pm

Pearlfisher has worked with Cuban artists to reposition Havana Club rum as a “crafted-by-hand” product designed to appeal to “connoisseurs and first time drinkers”.

The brand’s premium offering Havana Club 7-year-old, has been completely redesigned, with new structural packaging and packaging graphics introduced.

A new identity and visual language have been established, which explore hand-crafted elements and Cuba’s “sense of humanity” according to Pearlfisher strategy director Yael Alaton.

“Exuberant craft”

Alaton says the project began with “the brand’s heartland spirit; a seven-year aged rum that is not only one of the darkest, richest and most complex blends in the world but a true embodiment of the rich soul and cultural depth of the country.”

Identifying “Exuberant Craft” as the guiding creative vision, Alaton says “we combined the extroverted energy of Cuban people with the artistry inherent in the rum’s production.”

19th Century cigar art

Screen printing and 19^th century cigar art were the inspiration for the final designs according to consultancy creative director Sarah Cattle, who says: “A visual language based on black panels screen-printed over vibrantly illustrated Cuban scenes elegantly communicates the depth, mystery and sultry sophistication of the Havana Club 7 experience while allowing the energy and optimism of Havana to shine through beneath text and border cut-outs.”

The structural design of the Havana Club 7 bottle was partly initiated by Maestros del Ron Cubano, (the master of Cuban rum) who asked for the bottle to be considered as much as its contents.