The Cairn is the name of Gordon & MacPhail’s new multi-million pound Speyside distillery scheduled to open in spring 2022 as a nod to its Cairngorms National Par location.
The family owned whisky specialists were granted planning permission for the new distillery that will include a visitor experience, tasting rooms, retail space and coffee shop, last year and work started on site in July this year.
Unveiling the new brand Ian Chapman, Brands Director said, “We have put the consumer right at the heart of the process of creating the brand, as we have with the design of the distillery itself. We wanted to make sure it was clearly Scottish, but easy for consumers to pronounce and to spell. This will be particularly important for our international markets when English is not the first language.
“We also had to be mindful of Benromach, our other distillery. We wanted the new brand to complement, not compete.”
The company cast its net wide looking for ideas for a name, asking staff and shareholders for suggestions. More than 300 ideas were eventually whittled down to a shortlist which met select criteria. As well as the name, the identity needed to have icons and graphical elements to make it unmistakable for non-English speaking consumers.
Ian Chapman added, “The brand is eye-catching and contemporary and the approach to develop it put the consumer at the centre of our thinking. It is the same approach we have taken to designing The Cairn Distillery itself. The modern building takes advantage of the outstanding views across the River Spey to the Cairngorms and has been designed with the customer at the centre of the experience.”