In the high-end liquor market, where demand is limited and consumer sentiment conservative, product design innovation is a key factor in success, according to Pernod Ricard Korea, a leading whiskey brand here.

“Our design initiative was to create an exclusive design theme that still has universal appeal,” said company spokesman Yoo Ho-sung.

This strategy was recognized by not only the consumers, but also by expert designers. In August, Pernod Ricard Korea’s flagship Imperial Whiskey product line was selected as the winner of communication design at the Red Dot Design Award, an event recognized as one of the world’s top three design-related awards.

The communication design award is given out each year to outstanding examples of corporate design, advertising, interactive media or sound design.

“The award confirmed how successfully we have been expressing our brand philosophy through product design, and how on target we have been in delivering this philosophy to our customers,” Yoo said.

The Imperial Whiskey brand, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, is comprised of four products ― 12-year, 17-year, 19-year Quantum and the premium 21-year edition.

“Part of our goal was to encourage customers to distinguish the products according to their respective grade and edition,” the Pernod Ricard spokesman said.

For instance, the Imperial 19-year Quantum released in 2010, in a bottle with cuts resembling those of a diamond, has now become a signature look for this particular line of whiskey.

Both the 19-year Quantum and the 21-year premium version also come with a new contouring metal frame that makes for both a savvier design and a better grip, industry watchers noted.

“The launch of the Imperial 19-year Quantum has actually triggered a total design renewal,” said Yoo.

All four editions of the Imperial Whiskey line now come in bottles designed so that the yellow anti-forgery band bobs up to the upper part of the bottle cap once the bottle is opened.

The change in design has also led to a change in marketing.

The firm said it was encouraged by the positive feedback to the new designs, and since then has been producing limited editions and undergoing collaboration with celebrities such as soccer star Park Ji-sung and actor Jang Dong-gun to create even more unique designs.

The company also joined hands with designer Kim Young-se to create a 20th anniversary limited edition bottle.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)