Glenstal Abbey is a monastic community outside the village of Murroe in County Limerick, Ireland. The monks that live there lead simple, calm, graceful lives of routine and ritual. They work and worship in earnest. The place itself is beautiful and tranquil. It resonates with all those that visit. Indeed visitors often seek to take something evocative of the abbey away with them.

The brand ‘Simply Glenstal’ was born as a result, envisaged as a series of products, produced onsite as much as possible by the monks, and crafted with the same values, reverence and attention to detail that permeate the abbey. The tagline ‘Made by Monks’ was developed from strategy sessions to help inform customers about what set ‘Simply Glenstal’ products apart.

At the heart of glenstal abbey is it’s church. As a church, the interior is very distinctive. The space is bright. The amount of white is striking. Above this bright volume is a memorable patterned ceiling of red green and blue, scallops through the centre, waves at the edges. It’s a distinct and unforgettable place. Sometimes a design solution is right there is front of you. The branding’s palette and graphics were directly inspired. A logotype inspired by simplicity and rhythm was also designed.

The pilot project was a uniquely fragranced candle and the perfumer 'La Bougie' was commissioned to create the scent. Both the packaging and fragrance were both designed to try capture a small piece of the essense of this remarkable place.