The Whisky Exchange and Speciality Drinks rebrand
Dawn Davies, head buyer at The Whisky Exchange, gives The Spirits Business an exclusive first look at the revamped branding for The Whisky Exchange, Speciality Drinks, and Whisky.Auction.
Branding is arguably the most powerful tool in a company’s arsenal. Building a brand – and building it well – is what separates successful companies with longevity from short-term enterprises.
The Whisky Exchange, inarguably, falls into the former camp. Originally co-founded by brothers Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh, currently owners and co-founders of Elixir Distillers, the retailer was snapped up by Pernod Ricard in 2021, along with the duo’s distribution company Speciality Drinks, London Cocktail Week, and Whisky.Auction.
Dawn Davies, head buyer at The Whisky Exchange, has seen the company on both sides of its ownership journey. And as the group launches its rebranded e-commerce site and retail stores, it’s a deeply significant, and in ways, an extremely personal development for both Davies and her team.
The Whisky Exchange rebrand encompasses a new logo and updated colour scheme, plus a modern refresh of the website. In addition, Speciality Drinks has been rebranded to The Whisky Exchange Trade to better communicate its position in the industry and close ties to The Whisky Exchange. Thirdly, while Whisky.Auction will retain its name, its branding has been updated to also reflect its connection and complementary role to The Whisky Exchange and The Whisky Exchange Trade. (The branding for The Whisky Exchange shops and Whisky.Auction will be rolled out in the coming months).
“When Sukhinder and Rajbir were still here, we talked about changes and how we might bring these three incredible businesses, but three incredibly different businesses, into one brand without losing individual identity,” Davies says. “They’re all powerful brands themselves, but the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. When Rajbir and Sukhinder left, it felt like this was the right time to say, ‘We’re still here, we’re still relevant and we still have the same passion – we still have the same everything, but we are just moving into the 20th century.”
Davies explains the project was led by The Whisky Exchange team, who broached the subject with Pernod Ricard, which backed the proposal. An external design company was brought on board to bring in a fresh perspective and ensure any original elements that remained in the new design had a specific purpose, told the right story, and were not purely there for nostalgia.
Design studio Otherway was appointed for the project. The team spent three months learning about the trio of businesses, exploring the shops, the trade shows, talking to customers, meaning “they really got to the heart of what made us tick. They came up with the first iteration, and we thought, ‘Now we’re excited’,” Davies adds.
‘You should never forget your past’
She continues: “Of course, we had to keep the lions, we had to keep all of that history because ‘Singh’ means ‘lion’, and we wanted that history and what Sukhinder and Rajbir built still very much reflected in who we are because it is our DNA. You should never forget your past; you should always use it and take it forward.”
Otherway was keen on the idea of fluidity and movement because, “they said, ‘You’re ever-changing, ever moving, and it also ties into the idea of liquid moving”. That ethos also flowed through the lettering, but the clear objective was it all had to be modern. “The font was really clean, really fresh, and still has that fluidity,” Davies adds.
Then the colour scheme came into consideration, resulting in a refreshed colour palate for the website and shops. “For us, one thing I was really clear on, and Liz [Lock, former brand manager at The Whisky Exchange] was behind me on this, was that we had to have a colour that we could own. When you see those Selfridges bags, you know it’s a Selfridges bag; even tourists recognise it. We needed vibrancy.” The dark purple was switched out for a lighter hue to match the new logo.
As part of the brand identity refresh, The Whisky Exchange has introduced fully recyclable paper bags for customers. These are produced using FSC-certified paper and are coated in biodegradable laminate to ensure they are both functional and better for the environment. They will be rolled out in stores as the old bags are used up to avoid wastage.
‘The more you know, the better it tastes’
Similarly, The Whisky Exchange Trade comes to life with its own colour palate, modernised logo, and a clear association with the eponymous retailer. It has been overhauled to offer a more user-friendly experience, and will be integrated with the main The Whisky Exchange website.
The Whisky Exchange Blog has also been reimagined as the ‘Inspiration Hub’. The space will be where educational pieces will sit on the site to help consumers better understand and explore different categories.
“What’s our purpose? Inspiring a deeper appreciation of the world of spirits. And our belief – this is my favourite quote – ‘the more you know, the better it tastes’. We’re shops, we’re whisky shows, we’re [education] sessions – everything we do, every touch point you come across with us, we’re teaching something. That has to be core in everything we’re doing,” Davies says. “For us, that education piece, we know how vital it is.”
She shares a short description about The Whisky Exchange, penned by Otherway, that captures the sentiment Davies holds so dearly about the work of The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Exchange Trade, and Whisky.Auction, and the embarkment of this next chapter in the companies’ story: “The Whisky Exchange is not just a store, it’s a destination, a world waiting to be explored, a place where you don’t just buy; you discover, you learn, you try events, masterclasses, auctions and more with bottles from every corner of the earth. From the finest single malts of the Scottish Highlands to the hidden mezcals of Oaxaca, this is a place where curiosity knows no bounds, where expertise and stories are shared, and appreciation is fuelled.
“This is a place built on community, poured out of passion, and brimming with knowledge.”
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