About the project
Between 2016 and 2018 Ardgowan distillery was involved in an unusual project involving polar explorer Robert Swan and his son Barney. The founding members of Ardgowan helped Swan to develop a zero-carbon device that he could use to melt snow and create drinking water during his trek, without impacting the surrounding environment.
In return, Swan carried a bottle of aged Ardgowan single malt with him on his journey. When he got back this well-traveled whisky was combined with other malts to create a commemorative blend named Expedition. Only 600 bottles of this exceptional whisky exist – one for each mile that Swan and his son walked to reach the South Pole.
The project outcome
When creating this special pack, designed by Clickworks, the GPA team’s aim was to try and evoke some of the excitement and adventure of the Swans’ polar expedition. The bottle itself is coated in metallic quartz to resemble an explorer’s flask, while the elegant oak holding case features recessed panels designed to evoke the look and feel of a packing crate. We laser etched and screen-printed onto the hinged oak box and created an embossed leather neck-tag embellished with metal studs and a silhouette of Antarctica. Inside the case, the bottle is held on a removable wooden plinth. On the interior of the door, the story of the Ardgowan Expedition has been etched into the wood – a reminder of the exceptional nature of this packaging project.
