Steeped in history, Dick Mack’s has been described as, “stepping back in time… doing things that have been done 100 years ago”. Taking inspiration from this, we wanted to capture the new and fuse it with old, making consumers feel like they were sitting in the iconic Dick Mack’s when enjoying their whiskey. It was crucial that we encapsulated the unique character of this Irish pub within the label for this new Irish whiskey.
Founded by Finn, Willy, Declan and Peter, incorporating friendship was an important consideration for the packaging. The essence of this friendship was visually communicated by creating a custom stamp embedded in the Irish language. This stamp reads ‘Cumann na gCairde’ (Irish for the Society of Friends). This symbolises the friendship of the founders but also the friendship shared with those who enjoy a drink of whiskey together at the bar. Limited to just 245 bottles (which sold out within a couple of days), a friendly message “your new lucky number” was incorporated into the design to highlight that each bottle is uniquely numbered by hand.
The red bands of colour on either side of the label are a nod to the red doors that you pass through when entering the pub. The texture on the label is an etching that we took from the well worn wooden bar top in the pub (we got some strange looks from the locals). The wine splashes on the label signify the Marsala cask finish used for the whiskey and allow the consumer to easily visually recognise the influence of wine in the tasting notes.
Dick Mack’s is an award winning pub based in Dingle, Co Kerry. It is a cultural institution in the area with one half of the business specialising in whiskey and beer, and the other a leather store.
The label needed to be old style with Irish influence without being cliché, the result was a strikingly unique look which mirrors the atmosphere that greets you when you step into Dick Mack’s. Each individual element was intentionally designed and thought through to achieve this. The whiskey sold out completely which is a tribute to Dick Mack’s reputation and the quality of the overall design.