Flavored whisky uses iconography to stand out among competition

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, thoughts of warm apple pie fresh out of the oven and maybe even a pecan pie come to mind. Now with your dessert you can enjoy an after dinner drink with Piehole—a scrumptious blend of Canadian Whiskey and pie-flavored liqueur.

It seems Diageo is right on trend by entering the burgeoning flavored whisky market. Last year, according to Nielsen research, flavored North American whiskey grew 63% with all other market signs pointing toward more room to grow.

The packaging depicts eye-catching Americana imagery that evokes an era fondly remembered by just about anyone who has enjoyed their Grandma's homemade and delicious pies. The bottles feature bold colors of blue, green and red to highlight each fun pie flavor. Each new offering will available this month at a suggested retail price of $14.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Lauren Kremin, senior innovation manager of Beam Suntory, who made a presentation at Packaging Digest’s Global Food & Beverage Packaging Summit in July discussing brand distinction and how to stand out among a sea of other whiskeys mentioned how packaging is now loaded with strong visual tie-ins “using form, color, iconography, collaboration and construct stories to bring brands to life.” And Diageo is doing just that.

Best served up as a shot or small serving, the pie-flavored libation comes in three different offerings: Apple Pie, Cherry Pie and Pecan Pie.