Great Brands Are Rarely Built by Accident

Lauriel Dalier, Counsel in the Trademark & Brand Protection Group, shared her perspective on brands after touring the Bombay Sapphire Distillery while attending the International Trademark Association Annual Meeting in London.

After the International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting in London, I toured the Bombay Sapphire Distillery in rural Hampshire, England, and left thinking less about gin and more about the extraordinary intention behind the experience.

The brand’s signature sapphire blue appears everywhere: in the bottle design, the lighting, the tasting spaces, the immersive theater presentation, and even the room where guests create their own gin and tonic before learning about the company’s distinctive distillation process and the exotic botanicals behind it. The effect is striking, consistent, and unmistakably tied to the brand’s identity.

Equally impressive was the way the distillery blended heritage with innovation. A spectacular example is the glasshouses where the exotic botanicals used in the gin are grown. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the dramatic structures appear to cascade from the restored eighteenth-century paper mill buildings toward the crystal-clear chalk stream that runs through the property. The air carries the scent of juniper and fresh herbs, creating a seamless connection among landscape, ingredients, craftsmanship, and brand identity.

What made the visit so compelling was how clearly every detail contributed to the same larger impression. The result was not just a beautifully presented product, but an experience that made the brand feel immediate, coherent, and memorable.

Even after decades of practicing trademark law, I still find it exciting to encounter branding done this well. What impressed me most was not simply the creativity of the individual elements, but the care with which they were brought together into an experience that felt entirely true to the brand.

That kind of alignment is not easy to achieve, which is part of what made the experience so memorable. For brand owners, it offers an inspiring example of how thoughtful choices can deepen recognition, create connection, and bring a brand story to life. More importantly, consistency is what transforms a collection of individual elements into a recognizable and enduring identity. When the visual identity, customer experience, messaging, and product itself contribute to the same set of associations, consumers are more likely to remember the source behind it and develop lasting goodwill toward it. For trademark owners, those benefits extend beyond marketing; strong, consistent branding can enhance the distinctiveness and value of trademark assets and provide a stronger foundation for protecting them against infringement and imitation.

Great brands are rarely built by accident. The most memorable ones are shaped with intention.