Chasing the Ghost

How can the world’s most consumed spirit be virtually unheard of in the U.S.? Because baijiu is by its nature a paradox. Simultaneously loved and feared, baijiu is an essential component of any celebration in China. Infamous for its burn and high alcohol level as well as its complex and challenging flavor profile, it completely baffles western palates that are unaccustomed to its earthy tang.

Because the experience of drinking baijiu is so inexplicable and unique, our strategy was not to try and explain it for a western audience with traditional tasting notes and comparisons, but instead to lean into its mystique and position the brand as something that could only be experienced to be understood.

Inspired by the paradoxical koans used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and provoke enlightenment, we designed the Snowbridge brand to arouse curiosity and to be evocative of ancient secrets.

Roles

Positioning
Brand Development
Brand Narrative
Identity
Design
Illustration
Packaging
Collateral
Copywriting
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Content Creation
Digital Experience

Roles

Positioning
Brand Development
Brand Narrative
Identity
Design
Illustration
Packaging
Collateral
Copywriting
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Content Creation
Digital Experience

The Characters of Baijiu

The characters used for the packaging design were rendered by a Chinese calligraphy master. Each character is the symbol for baijiu rendered in a different style of calligraphy. They are used in a bold display fashion to create differentiation on package to distinguish the different styles of baijiu for each SKU.

The Snowbridge Seal

The logo for Snowbridge was inspired by Chinese family seals. Each element within the mark is representative of different aspects of the brand’s story. When repeated and combined in rotation the pieces connect to form additional shapes that as a whole make it greater than the sum of its parts.

More Work