A DISTILLERY BASED IN OATLANDS HAS A NEW WHISKEY PRODUCT FOR THE MARKET. THEY REQUIRED NAMING, BRANDING, AND A LABEL.
The Tasmanian whiskey market often uses local history as an exercise of branding. Labels such as Sullivan’s Cove do this well. Audiences are buying into Tasmanian history. But there is an audience that is not catered for; dark tourism. Historic events of tragedy and death generate great interest from those local and abroad. The grittier the better. Yet, competitor labels remain quite timed and placid. Van Diemen’s Land was “a place of demons”. It was where the British Empire’s worst strays were cast. Here lay the opportunity for the distilleries problem; its own unique place in the market. Through research into local history, I found our gritty angle. Solomon Blay - the Empire’s youngest and longest-serving executioner. A man who lived mere metres from the distillery. And a man with a past shrouded in misfortune, myth, and mystery.
BRAND STORY
Two centuries ago, Solomon Blay persevered in the untouched wilderness and roaring forties of Van Dieman’s Land. Facing the full weight of the British Empire, Solomon stood steadfast with the spirit of an anarchist. He lost his freedom, but his resilience did not recede and he chose to break his chains by becoming the Empires youngest and longest serving executioner. Solomon preferred to tread the least domestic path. A journey many dare not take. We are inspired to walk in his footsteps up the rugged terrain; breaking the conventional, embracing tribulation, and doing what most fear; challenging what’s normal.
