LOVE unveils new vodka brand for BrewDog, a tribute to founder’s one-armed cousin

The brief was to create a vodka brand that reflects BrewDog’s Aberdeen heritage and its "dedication to quality distilling", born from the waters of the North Sea.

LOVE took inspiration from BrewDog founder James Watt’s family history and ties with the North Sea, discovering a true story about James’ cousin Alex: a sailor who lost his arm in a freak fishing accident in the North Sea.

One-Armed Alex is the hero on-pack. His character comes to life through a deliberately lo-fi illustration, with a lit firework in one arm and a severed arm tucked casually away in his pocket. Inspired by Alex’s oilskins, the colour orange runs throughout the packaging and brand design. "It's a refreshing addition to the sea of red sameness used by competing spirit brands," exclaims LOVE.

With the tone of voice, Rogue Wave is an embodiment of Alex’s personality. Self-assured, irreverent and rebellious. "When we heard the story of James’ vodka loving cousin Alex, we just knew it was gold dust," says LOVE Founder and Executive Creative Director David Palmer. "Marry that with a hugely characterful single malt vodka and you get a straight-up, yet darkly humorous new entrant into a category that arguably needs an injection of personality."

The first product to launch under LOVE's equity partnership with BrewDog came in April with the creation of 'Boilermaker Series' – a new collection of whiskies made by three partner distilleries to pair perfectly with a signature BrewDog beer. Second in line came the rebrand of BrewDog’s existing gin brand, LoneWolf. Discover more at www.lovecreative.com.