Who was the Woodford Reserve Bottle Designer?

[Zeke]

Howdy!

Yeah, I know it's pretty arcane and definitely obscure. But I've searched around and haven't been able to find any information.

More precisely, was it done by folks employed by Brown-Foreman? Or was it farmed out to some industrial design company? And if so, which one?

Would the idea for the bottle have started with someone like Lynn Wilkinson and/or Eric Doninger or been done/led by them? Or whomever was in their positions back in the early-mid 90s?

Thanks ever so much in advance.

(And apologies in advance if this is in the wrong forum, I didn't think it was quite appropriate for Collectibles, Paraphernalia, or Premium Bourbons/Specialty Bottlings. Let me know and I can repost it in a better place).

Edit: Got rid of the typo in the title.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Zeke

[cowdery]

That sort of thing is typically not done in house, but by a packaging design firm. I suspect Brown-Forman works with many packaging design firms. Packaging design is a specialty. It's usually not something done by an ad agency, sales promotion agency, or public relations agency. I met a guy in Louisville recently who claimed his company did it. I don't remember his or the company's name. Brown-Forman (no 'e') must like it because much of their early advertising revolved around how the beautiful package was surpassed only by the wonderful whiskey inside it, or something like that.

[Zeke]

Howdy!

Thanks, I kind of thought that they would have farmed it out, especially after seeing some other things that got farmed out.

Although I'd still like to try and find the name (of the company, or the person) especially seeing how it obviously was very well thought out in advance.

And while I'd love to be able to blame the errant "e" on another typo. I can't, that was an out and out mistake on my part.

[tanstaafl2]

Looks a bit like somebody got hold of the Willett bong bottles while they were still hot and stretched them out!

I wonder if the same design firm came up with them.

[cowdery]

Looks a bit like somebody got hold of the Willett bong bottles while they were still hot and stretched them out!

I wonder if the same design firm came up with them.

You're thinking of the Master's Collection bottle, which like the Willet bottle is supposed to look like a pot still. I think Zeke is talking about the regular Distiller's Select bottle, which is like a flask.

[Zeke]

Howdy!

You're thinking of the Master's Collection bottle, which like the Willet bottle is supposed to look like a pot still. I think Zeke is talking about the regular Distiller's Select bottle, which is like a flask.

You're 100% right that I am asking about the regular Distiller's Select bottle. Although now that you bring it up, since the distiller's select bottle is such a good design, there is a good chance that they hired the same industrial design firm to do the Master's Collections as well.

[tanstaafl2]

You're thinking of the Master's Collection bottle, which like the Willet bottle is supposed to look like a pot still. I think Zeke is talking about the regular Distiller's Select bottle, which is like a flask.

Howdy!

You're 100% right that I am asking about the regular Distiller's Select bottle. Although now that you bring it up, since the distiller's select bottle is such a good design, there is a good chance that they hired the same industrial design firm to do the Master's Collections as well.

Ah, so I am. I occasionally buy the Master's Collection on a whim but never drink Woodford Reserve so I just glossed right over the flask shaped bottle!

[Zeke]

Howdy!

For what it is worth (and anyone else interested) I heard back from Sarah at Woodfrod Reserve and she wrote that "The Brown-Forman Design Team designed both [The Distiller's Select & The Master's Collection] bottles.

I then asked if anyone in the "Brown-Forman Design Team" had names, and am still waiting to hear back.

If anyone knows slightly more precisely what "The Brown-Forman Design Team" is/means I'd be grateful.

[Restaurant man]

Howdy!

For what it is worth (and anyone else interested) I heard back from Sarah at Woodfrod Reserve and she wrote that "The Brown-Forman Design Team designed both [The Distiller's Select & The Master's Collection] bottles.

I then asked if anyone in the "Brown-Forman Design Team" had names, and am still waiting to hear back.

If anyone knows slightly more precisely what "The Brown-Forman Design Team" is/means I'd be grateful.

Howdy!

Are you designing a bourbon bottle and looking for help?

[Zeke]

Howdy!

Are you designing a bourbon bottle and looking for help?

Howdy!

Nope, doing research for a presentation. Since Woodford Reserve varies from batch to batch as well as having been made in a variety of different ways over the course of its life, I'd like to focus the presentation on facts instead of taste.

[smokinjoe]

Howdy!

Nope, doing research for a presentation. Since Woodford Reserve varies from batch to batch as well as having been made in a variety of different ways over the course of its life, I'd like to focus the presentation on facts instead of taste.

Is your presentation on the whiskey? Or, the bottle?

I'm not sure you can make a definitive statement that WR varies from "batch to batch". Yes, the mix has changed from more OF distillate in earlier days, to less of it now...but, you can't really call that batch to batch variation.

[Restaurant man]

Is your presentation on the whiskey? Or, the bottle?

I'm not sure you can make a definitive statement that WR varies from "batch to batch". Yes, the mix has changed from more OF distillate in earlier days, to less of it now...but, you can't really call that batch to batch variation.

[Zeke]

Howdy!

My presentation is on the whiskey, the bottle, the distilleries, the people who make all of it, and anything else I can get my hands on...