Good Creates New Brand For Historic Milroys Of Soho

Branding and design consultancy Good has created a new brand for historic whisky shop Milroys of Soho - London’s oldest whisky specialist. Milroys was founded in 1964 by eccentric brothers Jack and Wallace Milroy, who are credited with bringing single malt scotch whisky to the masses, through working with blend owners and encouraging them to supply their single malts. The store passed through a number of owners, and was brought back into private independent ownership in 2014 by a young team of whisky fanatics. The new brand brings together Milroys’ place at the heart of the history of whisky with a fresh and modern twist, reflecting Milroys new owners; its location in the heart of Soho and its accessible expertise. The rebrand encompasses a new look interior and shopfront at Milroys’ Greek Street store; a range of four new whiskies under the Milroys name, a brand new website, logo, strapline and all marketing materials. The design has been created to be flexible and grow as the brand develops - whether that’s launching new whiskies under the brand name, or opening new stores or ventures.

The brand also brings together the classic and the handcrafted - with elements including wood and rubber stamps that can be used on materials through the store, to give the personal touch. Replacing the old ‘handwritten’ style of Milroys’ logo is a strong typographic logo that incorporates a brand marque featuring an M, and S, and the year 64 (which can also be used independently) - alongside the strapline: ‘The original whisky specialists’. The new logo will appear on packaging, also created by Good, for four new whiskies under the Milroys’ name. These comprise three single cask editions from well-known distilleries, and one eight year-old blend. The single cask expressions are available exclusively at Milroys and are an Ardmore 2008, Glentauchers 2007 and Blair Athol 1988. The packaging for these whiskies uses traditional whisky cues - classic fonts, solid bottle shapes – but adds a different flash of colour on each label to identify the four whiskies by distillery, bottling (as the single cask expressions are all limited editions) and ABV.

Secondary packaging for the single barrel expressions alludes to Milroys’ iconic Soho location and this mix of traditional and modern with a coloured ‘graffiti wall’ on the inside of the carton. The store front has also been redesigned - keeping the iconic Milroys’ blue - but bringing the frontage up to date with new logos and modern touches – while the interior is also being overhauled to reflect the new brand. Simo, owner and executive director of Milroys, said: “Our new look perfectly captures what Milroys is all about. It’s modern, solid and beautifully crafted. The elements work together - as on our packaging - but also are beautiful independently. We want to appeal to both the whisky connoisseur but also to the novice who wants to try something for the first time. Our brand matches our attitude and ambition, and we can’t wait to enter the next era of Milroys of Soho.” Natalie Maher, MD, London at Good, added: “Milroys’ story is integral to the story of Scottish whisky and helped create the market in London as we know it. The brand has a fantastic history of making whisky available and accessible, and its new owners are continuing that tradition in great style. It has been exciting to work with them to reflect this in a design that will run through every part of the company as it continues to grow and spread the word about great whisky.”

Source: Milroys Of Soho