Creative agency Sedley Place has created the launch identity for Woodland Radicle Brands’ newest brand Xilli, a spirit drink that “re-ignites Aztec traditions and flavours”.

The cornerstone of the new identity is a design based on the ancient Aztec calendar stones with a sun god at the centre. The motif, which was especially drawn by the Sedley Place team, sits on the centre of the bottle. Under it sits the brand name drawn in a uniquely created script.

Xilli (pronounced chilli) is a spirit infused with a blend of spicy cayenne peppers, hot habanero chillies and a generous dash of tequila.

Steve Wilson, co-founder of Woodland Radicle Brands, said: “Xilli is launching into a well-established category, so it was important to create an identity that has stand out without alienating existing audiences. It also had to be authentic to the distinct flavours of the brand. Sedley Place’s creative concept achieved an effective and striking balance between all of these objectives.”

Jason Barney, senior graphic designer at Sedley Place added: “The central motif was painstakingly drawn to give a contemporary craft feel to the bottle. From the colour palette to the logo script, the attention to detail was the magic bullet to maximise cut through on what’s essentially a minimalist bottle.”

Xilli was seeded in bars as part of a soft launch, backed by an in-bar sampling push that featured Xilli Warriors with feathered headdresses and Aztec print skirts.

Wilson adds: ‘The response has been brilliant, from style bars to high-energy accounts, including listings with LAB, Sketch, Peyote, Mode, Buddha Bar, Casa Negra and House of Wolf.’