One of the many beautiful things about this project was that, as a team, we had total creative control of where we’d take it. Surprise surprise, we took it to a very strange place:
a fantastical world of unicorns, goblins, and malevolent buzzards.
Brand storytelling straight from the dark ages
We wanted Fabled Chase to feel like a fairy tale come to life in a bottle of bourbon. And what better way to do that than to create a fairy tale of our own? Each bottle came with an illustrated copy of “The Hunting of the Unicorn”—an original poem recounting one hero’s quest to track down an elusive unicorn.
Whiskey wrapped in a tapestry
The fairy tale vibes also inspired the visual identity. We leaned into rich, immersive illustrations and a dark and moody color palette. And on the packaging, as in the poem, the unicorn always stays one step ahead of his pursuer.
Casting a
spell in HTML
In the final days before the big release, we launched fabledchase.com, where visitors could wind their way through an interactive version of “The Hunting of the Unicorn” and sign up to attend the release party.
We had quite a bit of fun teasing the whiskey’s debut on social media.
Armed with only a Polaroid, a 12-foot fishing pole, and our imaginations, we headed deep into the wilderness of Lancaster County to recreate classic sightings of mythical beasts.
The Journey’s End
We unveiled Fabled Chase with a special evening at Thistle Finch Distillery. Guests had the chance to sample the spirit, mingle with the team, and take home a bottle of their own. By the end of the night, only a few cases remained—and shortly after being stocked at Thistle Finch’s retail shop, the last bottles of Fabled Chase were gone forever.
