Buffalo Trace’s Label: Proof That Good Marketing Ages Well

Most products have a story behind their creation, and the development of Buffalo Trace Bourbon’s branding is no exception. Few know the details of how this now-iconic package came to be.

In the mid-1990s, Sazerac acquired the Ancient Age Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, with the vision of transforming the aging facility into a world-class distillery. Bill Goldring, the owner of Sazerac, appointed Mark Brown to oversee this ambitious project. At the time, SPAR, Inc., a New Orleans-based design and branding firm, handled much of Sazerac’s packaging and advertising. Under the leadership of its General Manager and Creative Director, SPAR was tasked with rebranding the distillery and developing what would become its flagship bourbon brand.

The process officially began in 1998 when Brown assembled a team to oversee the transformation. This group included key figures from various departments—marketing, sales, legal, and production—alongside SPAR’s creative team. Brown initiated the effort by educating the team on the distillery’s history, followed by tours of major Kentucky distilleries and Jack Daniel’s in Tennessee. These visits provided insight into how other brands had built their reputations and created compelling visitor experiences. At the time, the Ancient Age Distillery was a functional but unremarkable site, attracting only a fraction of the visitors seen at competitors like Jim Beam. This was something the team intended to change.

During the site’s restoration, remnants of its original color scheme—dark green and copper orange—were uncovered. These colors ultimately became a defining part of the distillery’s branding. As for the name, “Buffalo Trace” was chosen due to the site’s historical location along the Kentucky River, where buffalo once migrated, leaving trails known as the Great Buffalo Trace. With unanimous agreement among the team, the distillery and its signature bourbon were officially branded under this name.

The packaging design process aimed to create something authentic, timeless, and distinctive. Brown emphasized the need for a strong visual identity, suggesting a bottle that was short, shapely, and featured a bulbous neck reminiscent of a pot still. Additionally, he requested a “buffalo swoosh”—a stylized buffalo graphic akin to Nike’s famous swoosh.

The design team, led by SPAR’s creative director and including designers Steve Decker, Catherine McAcy, and Reneri Turcios, studied historical bourbon packaging, visiting the Oscar Getz Bourbon Museum for inspiration. They prioritized traditional elements like a cork-finished closure while incorporating modern branding touches. A renowned wildlife artist, Lee Cable, was commissioned to create a painting of a buffalo along the Kentucky River, a central image for the label.

Initial designs followed a more conventional approach, featuring a symmetrical label on a carefully crafted bottle. While the development team approved these early versions, SPAR’s designers felt something was missing. Internally, they debated whether to push for a more daring approach. A breakthrough came when Decker recalled a package design with a torn-edge label. The team experimented with a fully torn label wrapped asymmetrically around the bottle. The resulting effect made the bottle stand out, with the buffalo appearing as if it were bursting from the label. The logo, instead of being on the paper label, was screen-printed directly onto the glass, further enhancing the rustic yet bold aesthetic.

When it came time to present the final design, the SPAR team took a calculated risk. After showing the approved conventional version to the development team, they unveiled the torn-label concept. Initially met with silence, the reaction quickly turned to excitement when Brown exclaimed, “WOW!” The team immediately recognized the impact of the design, and the original concept was set aside in favor of the bold new look.

However, making the switch to the torn-label design required overcoming logistical and production challenges. Traditional label-cutting methods weren’t suited for the intentionally uneven edges, requiring custom die-cutting. Additionally, integrating screen-printed elements with the label in a way that maintained quality and consistency added another layer of complexity. Despite these hurdles, the team remained committed to the vision. Each adjustment brought the packaging closer to the distinctive final product, ensuring that the risk paid off.

The final approval took place at a meeting in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Placing both versions side by side on a picnic table, the team compared them one last time. The unanimous decision was to move forward with the torn-label design, cementing the look that would become one of the most recognizable bourbon packages in the industry.

Back in New Orleans, the design team celebrated. What had started as a risky departure from convention had turned into an undeniable success. Today, Buffalo Trace Bourbon’s packaging stands as a testament to creativity, collaboration, and the willingness to take bold chances.