Case Study · Spirits · Premium
Virunga Gin and Wapusk Vodka had everything needed to build a serious brand. The product, the story, the names, the cause. What was missing was a territory, a visual identity and an execution that matched the premium positioning.
The Situation
Two spirits with everything needed to build something lasting — distinctive names, genuine conservation missions, real craft behind the liquid, and a bottle design for Virunga that stands out in any bar. We saw the potential before we were asked. So we built the case for what these brands could become.
What we saw
The conscious hedonist — someone who dances hard and cares deeply, who drinks less but better, who wants their choices to mean something without sacrificing any of the pleasure. No premium spirits brand was speaking to this person clearly. Virunga and Wapusk had the values, the story and the energy to own that territory. The opportunity was real. The timing was right.
The approach
We built from the emotional territory outward. Wild Energy. Real Impact. Two extraordinary national parks — Virunga and Wapusk — as the worlds behind the bottles. A visual direction anchored in nature, energy and authenticity rather than product shots and donation percentages. And a digital execution that gives the conscious hedonist a brand they can genuinely make their own.
What We Delivered
An unsolicited engagement built from conviction, not a brief. Everything delivered was ready to activate from day one.
01
Brand Strategy Toolkit
Full competitive analysis and positioning maps. Brand territory definition. Tribe profile. Social media content strategy. Influencer framework. Horeca activation recommendations.
The Build02
Brand Website
Complete homepage rebuild demonstrating the new visual direction — world photography first, product as conclusion. Split hero, immersive nature sections, tribe storytelling, conservation impact, eco horeca proposition and trade section.
The Build03
Product Pages
Two Shopify-compatible product pages — one per brand. Structured perfect serve sections with three formats each, food pairings, Pro Tips, botanical displays, world photography and conservation storytelling. Developer-ready for immediate activation.
The BuildStrategy content is kept confidential. The full competitive analysis, positioning architecture and activation recommendations remain private to Wilderness Spirits. What's shared here reflects the scope and nature of the work — not the strategic content itself. Every client engagement operates under the same principle.
The Brands
Wilderness Spirits as the masterbrand. Virunga and Wapusk as two distinct sub-brands, each carrying the same values and energy into a different physical world and sensory territory.
Virunga Gin · 43% Vol
Forest freshness. Citrus tension. Volcanic finish.
Africa's oldest national park distilled into a bottle. Mist, heat, altitude and the gorilla in the forest at dusk. A gin that isn't gentle — and doesn't pretend to be.
Wapusk Vodka · 38% Vol
Five distillations. Rye backbone. Serve from the freezer.
Canada's subarctic plains. The aurora overhead. The polar bear in the endless white. A vodka that disappears in the glass and leaves nothing but the moment.
The Execution
A complete website and two product pages built with their own photography, their own products and their own story — ready to replace what existed. Below is a selection of what was delivered. The full proposal is available on request.
Homepage
Virunga Gin · Product Page
Perfect Serve · Virunga
Perfect Serve · Wapusk
Wapusk Vodka · Product Page
Conservation · Impact Section
The Output
Delivered without a brief, without a retainer, and without a six-month timeline. A complete brand and digital package that a Shopify developer can activate in two days.
3
Major deliverables
Brand strategy toolkit, complete website rebuild and two Shopify-ready product pages — Virunga and Wapusk.
2
Days to activate
A developer familiar with Shopify Liquid can implement both product pages within two working days. The homepage within four.
€0
Agency fees elsewhere
Equivalent agency scope — strategy, UX, copy, design — would cost €8,000–15,000 with a 3-month delivery timeline.
Want to see more?
A gated preview of the complete website and both product pages is available on request — including the homepage, the Virunga and Wapusk product pages, the perfect serve sections and the conservation storytelling.
Access provided on request · Confidential
Request access → Back to all work