Purpose at the heart of Godawan whisky brand

Crafted by independent British brand design agency Butterfly Cannon, the luxury whisky brand centres around the Great Indian Bustard, otherwise known as the Godawan bird. With just 128 Godawan remaining, the brand funds work which aims to save the species from potential extinction.

After visiting the brand’s Rajasthan distillery, the Butterfly Cannon team realised young luxury consumers in India could connect with a purposeful brand identity, such as saving the Godawan species of bird.

Evoking sustainability and responsibility through design cues, Godawan utilises a creative platform of ‘desert bloom’ as an ode to brand homeland Rajasthan. This theme is also reflected in the wordmark, which uses a contemporary interpretation of a traditional local typeface. Meanwhile, the hand-drawn bird illustration aims to act as a seal of quality and a mark of dedication to the brand’s conservation efforts.

Keeping true to its sustainable roots, the brand’s key barley ingredient is locally sourced, while the packaging has responsible material specifications. The brand has also invested over one million rupees int protecting over 200 acres of habitat for the Godawan bird since its launch.

Hiren Dedhia, design head at Diageo India, says, “We are ecstatic about the quality of Butterfly Cannon’s work on our ‘rare whisky to save a rare species’ - Godawan Artisanal Indian Single Malt. With us from the very start, their strategic thinking and meticulously crafted, powerful designs across all touch points have been an integral part of establishing Godawan as an Indian born global brand with mindful luxury at its heart.”