4 Project
Justin Sooter Branding 3/25/13
Design Brief/ Brainstorming
The idea for my brand was a old beer brand that is being revitalized to accommodate to a younger audience. The qualities of alcoholic beverages are good and bad, so I thought it was best to relay some form of responsibility, age, and etiquette into the brand. The target audience would be between the ages of 21-50, this is because of the old, classical qualities that can be relayed in a beer brand, yet still maintaining a new and current feel. I began brainstorming and found myself
planning an expensive, high quality beer brand that could cater to a wide audience. The varieties would be based on the types of beer, most likely ales. The packaging would also need to relay the same feel as the label and product.
Research The obvious availability of other brands to research for inspiration and context for my brand was easily found and extrapolated on. Brands like Blue Moon, Shiner Bock, and Old Speckled Hen have had great success in their marketing campaigns because of great design, brand, and packaging. I personally enjoyed the old time feel that is relayed through typography and label shape. My target audience is very broad, however I believe that a design that can relate to a younger
crowd and an older, more experienced group could be successful. I thought of key elements that could be incorporated and used to relay this notion of a new, yet old brand. The combination of old with modern has always had challenges, but in the beer market it is essential.
Thumbnails/ Roughs
Experimenting with the concept of new and old, the thumbnails I drew were mostly composed to explore the label and logo shape. The options I chose to continue pointed me to the name Ol’ Dog Ale, which I was very fond of. The combination of script type with illustrated elements inside of a framed shape conveyed and old English style that could still be developed to be modern and new. The imagery of a dog became essential, in my mind, to the brand and if not that
then some kind of central recognizable symbol to relate the brand to a specific style, logo, or understanding. The type would need to not be too distracting, so as to not pull all the focus from the other imagery.
Comps The comps that I settled for were, to me, the most versatile. The numerous elements make this choice more marketable and useful to develop a repeatable brand identity that is unified and complete. The hand draw beagle is a brand identity quality that I want to use across the entire product line and make it easily recognizable and marketable to the entire target audience. The neck labels would relay the type or flavour of beer and some other information. The shape of the
label is an old English style that is easily repeatable and independently strong of other elements as it is able to change colors based on flavors or location.
Original
Stout
Pale
serve chilled and hear her bark
serve chilled and hear her bark
serve chilled and hear her bark
Est. 2013
Est. 2013
Est. 2013
alcohol
alcohol
alcohol
7% vol
7% vol
7% vol
Final Logo/ Labels
The final logo and labels are similar to the comps with some improvements to elements that could be difficult when reproducing the labels. I believe that this logo and label selection is a strong choice because it relates to a wide audience and it separates itself from the competition by combining the two main styles of beer brands. The combination of old styled name, shape, and genre juxtaposed to the new swirly typography and stylized elements makes this brand a true competitor
despite being new and different.
Quality Handcrafted Ale
Quality Handcrafted Ale
Quality Handcrafted Ale
Ol’ Dog Ale is the brain child of master-brewer Justin Sooter. The flavor comes from a long line of master brewmen who combine wheate, barley, noble hops, and other seasonal grains.
Ol’ Dog Ale is the brain child of master-brewer Justin Sooter. The flavor comes from a long line of master brewmen who combine wheate, barley, noble hops, and other seasonal grains.
Ol’ Dog Ale is the brain child of master-brewer Justin Sooter. The flavor comes from a long line of master brewmen who combine wheate, barley, noble hops, and other seasonal grains.
The robust flavor is favored above many other ales in it’s class. The wheaty aroma and sharp bite make sure that you know her bark is worse than her bite. For more information and more flavors go to www.OlDogAle.com
The robust flavor is favored above many other ales in it’s class. The wheaty aroma and sharp bite make sure that you know her bark is worse than her bite. For more information and more flavors go to www.OlDogAle.com
The robust flavor is favored above many other ales in it’s class. The wheaty aroma and sharp bite make sure that you know her bark is worse than her bite. For more information and more flavors go to www.OlDogAle.com
Handcrafted
Handcrafted
Handcrafted
alcohol alcohol
7% vol
7% vol
7% vol
alcohol
serve chilled and hear her bark
Est. 2013 Est. 2013
Est. 2013
Original
Original
H a ndcr a fted
serve chilled and hear her bark
Original
Est. 2013
serve chilled and hear her bark
H and c rafted
Original
Original
Est. 2013
serve chilled and hear her bark
7% vol
alcohol
Est. 2013
7% vol
alcohol
serve chilled and hear her bark
7% vol
alcohol
H a ndcra f te d
Handcrafted
serve chilled and hear her bark
Handcrafte d
Original
Handcrafte d
Final Solution Packaging
I believe that my brand has a packaging design that is modern and intriguing for a beer brand and will offer true side by side competition at the customer level. The design is reminiscent of old English style labeling and typography but it involves a new modern approach. The packaging is meant to be as environmentally conscious as possible by minimizing the packaging to a secure carrying case that holds the bottles together allowing them to be laid down or stand up. While this
packaging option is not the most secure for ensuring safety against damage or theft, the simple packaging, when utilized properly, will become economically proficient and a recognizably different for customers.
Conclusion The brand Ol’ Dog Ale is a viable and competitive option as compared to current brands of similar product. The design and packaging make it an intriguing choice for a large variety of people because of it’s eco friendliness, handcrafted, and intricate qualities. The brand has the potential for numerous constructs in many different contexts as the brand can develop in many different ways. The use of the dog is an example that is visible and yet unseen by many consumers; they are becoming part of the recognizable brand they buy in to and help develop it. The
variety in color and other potential options is making the brand a true competitor and visible icon of a specific style or genre of beer. The social implications of such a brand are mostly unseen, however the economic impact of a new market segmentation that is occupied by a specialty craft beer is almost unheard of.