This is a class project done during my time in SJSU's BFA Graphic Design program. I was able to choose a company name and product to brand. At the time, I had a lot of organic and feminine-feeling pieces already in my portfolio of work, so I decided to step outside my comfort zone and try branding a product I had zero experience in.

My first steps of research entailed walking through liquor stores in the whiskey section—an aisle I rarely stepped foot in—and analyzing my competitors. What were their marketing stances? How did they convey these stances in their visual design? I noticed that many whiskey brands exuded an ornate, regal sort of old-world stuffiness—over-the-top flourishes, complicated monograms, royal castle imagery, etc. It was too much for me. I definitely felt like this type of product was unattainable to me. I wanted to position my whiskey brand design to feel modern, elegant, velvety smooth, and simple, while exuding the feelings of luxury and strength that whiskey consumers savor.

William Wallace scotch whiskey takes its name from the iconic historical figure William Wallace. An ex-noble, Wallace became a 14th-century Scottish knight and Guardian of Scotland by leading a rebellion against the English in a bid for independence.

The identity design pays homage to William Wallace's character through stark simplicity, lack of flourish, and defiant angular forms. The only color in the identity is a simple gold monogram, which stands squarely on its own against a velvety dark backdrop. The balanced monogram contrasts classic serif letterforms with bold angular bars, forming a small W inside of another W, for the initials of William Wallace.