The Opportunity

Sneaky Bill was created as a playful, personality-led secondary label for Saint Clair – a wine that could feel premium, memorable and a little bit dangerous in all the right ways. Inspired by the legend of Bill, the vineyard handyman with a habit of burning anything left lying around, the label system turns cheeky storytelling into a bold, distinctive visual asset.

The Challenge

The brief was to create a secondary label that felt quirky, playful and fun, while still looking premium on shelf. It needed to celebrate Bill’s character, bring his story to life, and elevate the wine beyond novelty into something distinctive and commercially appealing.

At the heart of the challenge was balance: how do you build a wine brand around a mischievous vineyard character without losing sophistication? The answer was to make the personality sharp, the storytelling intriguing, and the design confident enough to do the heavy lifting.

Strategic Thinking

Bill’s story gave the brand an immediate point of difference. Bill is the vineyard handyman, known for being “sneaky” and for loving a bonfire – the kind of character who might quietly throw anything loose around the vineyard onto the flames. That narrative created a natural tension between humour and danger, which opened up a rich creative territory for the label.

Rather than overcomplicate it, the smarter move was to lean into one clear idea: Sneaky Bill as a premium wine with a smoky, cheeky personality. That meant building a label that felt stripped back and elegant at first glance, but revealed more attitude the closer you looked.

The Creative

A crisp white label creates premium contrast against the dark bottle, while the oversized BILL typography gives the pack authority and shelf presence. Above it, SNEAKY sits smaller and more restrained, creating a natural hierarchy that feels both elegant and slightly mischievous.

The smoke detail becomes the masterstroke. Curling across the label, it acts almost like Bill’s fingerprint – hinting at fire, trouble and character without turning the design into a cliché. It adds atmosphere, movement and a sense of story, while preserving the restraint of the overall pack.

The result is a label that feels modern, premium and memorable, with just enough tension between refinement and rebellion.

The Outcome

Sneaky Bill transforms a vineyard anecdote into a distinctive brand asset. It gives Saint Clair a more playful expression within its portfolio, while still feeling grounded in premium wine cues such as clarity, restraint and strong typography.

Most importantly, it proves that personality doesn’t need to come at the expense of sophistication. With the right balance of storytelling and design discipline, even a mischievous character can become the foundation of a premium label that stands out for all the right reasons.