Highland Park
How do you bring a 230-year-old whisky brand to a modern audience while honouring its place in one of the most remote locations in Scotland? We designed Aurora for Highland Park by taking inspiration from the 5000-year-old Neolithic monuments that stand in contrast to the wide open expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.
Background
As part of a full rebranding exercise carried out by our sister company D8, we were asked to create a brand typeface that would encapsulate a new, lighter version Highland Park after years of being heavily associated with Viking lore and a more brooding visual style.
The reality of today’s Highland Park is that it is a mainstay of a remarkably forward-thinking and entrepreneurial community. A small set of islands whose skills and produce is in demand globally. It’s no longer defined by the dark, but by its ability to offer a striking combination of tradition and modernity that appeals to an audience looking for new experiences. It is craft and heritage, but it is also innovative and focussed on using new technological innovations to ensure quality and sustainable practices. Old meets new in perfect harmony. It’s Different by Nature.
Construction
We created a typeface style that paid homage to one of the most striking features of Orkney; the various Neolithic monuments found scattered across the islands. Using these strong shapes as a basis, we designed a flared serif style with a generous x-height, open counters and measured proportions, optimised for clarity and fluency.
The proportions favour horizontal expansion over vertical compression, giving us a stable feel that creates a sense of calm authority. We wanted this to feel quietly confident rather than stand out in a category filled with overstatements.
The vertical rhythm is steady and very controlled which sits cleanly in-between something mechanical and overly calligraphic. This balance reinforces the brand positioning: rooted in craft with a human touch, but without becoming too nostalgic or rustic in appearance.
In Application
Our attention to modernity and tonal neutrality with practicality makes Aurora a high-performing tool for the brand. It works well on packaging due to its ability to maintain clarity at smaller sizes and hold print well, and it’s high levels of readability make it a strong performer in longer form blocks to support storytelling and educational content.
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