ABOUT

Smiling Wolf is a premium, functional spirits range that blurs the line between non-alcoholic and alcoholic to offer an unprecedented mood-enhancing experience. Everything you’d expect from a classic alcoholic spirit (flavour, mouthfeel, experience, story, quality and effect) but without the downsides. An uncompromising range that looks, feels, tastes, mixes and performs like a classic range of spirits, where the alcohol has been replaced with ingredients known to promote the increase of alpha brain waves, serotonin, dopamine and endorphins – offering a nootropically-fuelled buzz without the hangxiety! Perfectly suited to today’s ‘zebra-striping’ drinking habits, and so convincing, it deserves a double take.

This playfully mischievous attitude of ‘messing with your senses’ was central to our approach when creating this new-to-world brand. It’s reflected in the name, Smiling Wolf (since when does a wolf smile?), our dual-faced snarling/smiling wolf logo, and the hidden contrasts within the designs – devils & angels in conflict, tropical fruit cannons & casks, and wolf tails & ears. There’s always #ATwistInTheTail to discover.

We built the brand from the ground up, crafting its purpose, story, and character, before defining the portfolio structure (leaving room for future mischievous releases) and designing everything from the master brand identity to the packaging for its five release variants: vodka, rum, gin, tequila, and aperitivo.

Each variant design continues the magic of the double-take by being the same but different, creating the impact of a cohesive range through the proud bespoke bottle form, design hierarchy, and label die cuts, whilst individually mischievously aping the category it ingeniously subverts.

The attention to detail in the substrates, materials, print finishes and overall design craftsmanship positions Smiling Wolf as a premium offer – successfully challenging more established spirits brands and certainly any of the alcohol-free alternatives. A contemporary SW monogram serves as a secondary asset, evolving into a dynamic pattern that reinforces cohesion across digital and experiential touchpoints.