Wild Turkey has debuted a new look for its premium bourbon and rye whiskey range.
While making no changes to the liquid, Wild Turkey has designed new packaging that better reflects the core values of the brand, the company says. A detailed new turkey illustration, found on every expression and most prominently displayed on Wild Turkey 101, depicts “a spirited bird that is authentic, proud, and bold,” the company says, “characteristics that have always defined the conviction at the heart of the Wild Turkey brand.”
“This new premium look is the result of in-depth research, consulting with our distillery, and listening to bartenders and consumers,” said Melanie Batchelor, global vice president for spirits at Gruppo Campari.
The new look for the entire range of bourbon and rye whiskies also reflects Eddie Russell’s recent promotion to Master Distiller. The packaging now makes it clear to consumers that Wild Turkey Bourbon (originally named Wild Turkey 81) is Eddie’s creation, while his father and living legend Jimmy Russell is the creator of Wild Turkey 101.
Eddie’s signature is front and center on Wild Turkey Bourbon, while Jimmy’s is prominently placed on Wild Turkey 101.
In addition to its range of bourbon products, packaging for Wild Turkey’s rye expressions have also been updated. The new look features rich green colors and a premium split label design, the company says.
Although labels for each expression of Wild Turkey differ, they do share some common aspects that create uniformity across the range:
Strip Stamp: Comprised of deep, rich colors and accented with gold foiled writing, the strip stamps at the neck of the bottle now denote what type of whiskey is inside each bottle, and most contain the phrase “Crafted with Conviction.”
Glass: Below the strip stamp on every bottle, a circular Wild Turkey marking is embossed in the glass. Near the bottom of every bottle, also embossed in the glass, are the words “BOLD. GENUINE. TRUE.”
Label: Professional wildlife artist Julie Rhodes was commissioned to draw the icon. Working closely with the National Wild Turkey Federation, Julie took great care to make her work as realistic as possible, the company says.
New packaging for the following expressions will be rolled out starting in November of 2015: Wild Turkey Bourbon (formerly known as Wild Turkey 81), Wild Turkey 101, Wild Turkey Bourbon (formally known as Wild Turkey 86.8, for Australia only), Wild Turkey Rye, Wild Turkey 101 Rye, and Wild Turkey 101 8 Year Old (Japan only).
