Sourced and crafted
After getting to know the business and Brixton, we generated a longlist of names internally, inspired by local figures, wildlife, bus numbers and more. Market Row was the perfect choice, taking its name from the road in Brixton where many of the botanical ingredients are sourced and where the distillery is now based. The name situates the business and the brand in the heart of the community, and emphasises that it’s a no fuss brand that pushes the premium rum category forward, offering up an edgier, more inclusive alternative to mass-market rums.
Guided by the design principle of ‘urban elegance’, we built Market Row to stand out next to mass-market brands. Where they use traditional typography, we use bold imperfect type; where they use dull product descriptions, we use lyrical verses; where they use dark, moody colours, we use a vibrant palette that celebrates the Caribbean soul of Brixton. To make the packaging more unique, we chose an angular bottle to literally give it an edge, and for the brandmark, we took inspiration from the map outline of the Borough as it’s reminiscent of an island, cleverly balancing the Caribbean heritage with urban Brixton grit.
Along the way, we also worked with Market Row’s founders to define their Brand Building Blocks, helping them articulate and live out their principles of being inclusive, passionate and grounded in everything they do.