Suntory revamps Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu packaging

by Melita Kiely

House of Suntory has given its Japanese whisky portfolio a design refresh, including new looks for its Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu brands.

This is the first global packaging redesign for House of Suntory in an effort to deliver a “more recognisable and consistent premium look” across its brands. Each Japanese whisky within the portfolio will feature a more prominent kanji, a Japanese symbol representing a word or idea. The gift cartons will now also include a new brand logo and updated blurb on the back of the carton, detailing Suntory’s history and core beliefs, as well as product descriptions and tasting notes. This year, Suntory will focus on distributing the new packaging for Yamazaki 12 Year Old, Hibiki Japanese Harmony and Hakushu 12 Year Old to retailers. By the end of 2019, the new packaging boxes for all Suntory whiskies will be available to purchase from retailers. The exception to the updated design will be Suntory Whisky Toki, which is not presented in a box. “With the growing number of entrants to the burgeoning Japanese whisky category, we wanted to redesign our gift cartons so consumers can more easily distinguish the Suntory brands on retail shelves and back-bars,” said Takahiro Itoga, senior global brand director at Beam Suntory. “As the founding house of Japanese whisky, it is important to us to communicate a unified look for the depth and breadth of our award-winning portfolio as well as to provide a more consistent story for consumers to discover while exploring our products.”