Responses by Shane Cranford and Ross Clodfelter, creative directors, Device Creative Collaborative

Background: A new brand in the whiskey category can’t pull punches. Family-owned distillery Third Wind Distilling Co. had a great product, a compelling story, and a multi-generational connection to their hometown of Bay City, Michigan, which is known for its salt-of-the-earth, seafaring identity. The brand needed to leverage the family’s shared history, grit and pride in their waterfront roots, but with substance and interest enough to compete on a national scale.

Reasoning: The client’s story is one of hard-working, hard-won success, and our brand had to reflect that. We landed on the name Third Wind, with evocations of pushing through in tough times, and followed up with branding, packaging, website and merchandise design that centered on the family’s heritage, but with plenty to appeal to those outside the inner circle. A bold take on the maritime code of signals, the packaging and identity is rich with meaning for the Bay City seafaring crowd, but grabs the eye on a major metro bar shelf. This is a brand that cuts right to the shared truths of who Third Wind is and what it stands tall for.

Challenges: Finding a new name in the spirits space is near impossible because there’s so much overlap between bars, spirits, beer and wine, so it’s a major undertaking. We went through many iterations and discussions with legal, digging deep into the brand’s roots as part of a tenacious, hard-working community to finally land on the perfect name.

Favorite details: When the clients came to us, they had an idea of what they wanted, but we were able to tap into something deeper, more unique and singularly connected to what gets them up in the morning.

Visual influences: We steeped ourselves in the language that makes up the maritime code of signals, an eye-catching system of flags and codes that communicate huge amounts of critical information from afar.

Specific demands: So much of a brand’s identity flows from its name, and we were in a holding pattern while we researched and brainstormed possible naming solutions. We wanted a name that was both fitting yet unexpected—something that stands out, but for all the right reasons. This was true for the rest of the project as well. Many can create a visually appealing brand, but building something that goes deeper is a much tougher, more rewarding task. We always challenge ourselves to create solutions that are distinctive to a brand and its strategy, and Third Wind delivers.

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