REFINING A GLOBAL ICON
The Brief
''We have an iconic brand but need some clarity. Can you fine-tune our identity to help us scale faster across markets, without compromising the creativity and individuality we’re known for?''
The Opportunity
In the last 33 years Brooklyn Brewery has grown exponentially – in size, value, global reach, you name it. But this growth has caused complexity, and over time the brand has become cluttered and confused. We saw the opportunity to strengthen this global icon with a consistent, futureproofed design system that would deliver a more impactful brand experience.
We kicked off with an extensive audit of the brand to understand where the difficulties were. And it soon became clear there were a whole host of growing pains, across both their local and international touchpoints.
Adding new formats and SKUs for new markets had watered down the identity and it was full of inconsistencies, with multiple brand marks and treatments in play and no real clarity on what the ‘master’ brand should look like.
We consolidated the various iterations of the brand mark, as this had featured differently on every beer type and pack format, to simplify the identity and create a consistent brand imprint that’s proudly and recognisably Brooklyn Brewery — working with renowned typographer Rob Clarke to strengthen and clarify the letterforms.
“Brooklyn’s iconic logo, created by US design legend Milton Glaser, is integral to the brand’s history, so it was important we keep the essence of it there, whilst making the necessary changes to build a bolder brand imprint.”
Ben Brears, Creative Director
Alongside strengthening the typography for clarity across all formats, we developed clear and systematic design principles, to make the brand easier to spot and the beers easier to shop.
Creating clear rules for logos, typefaces and colours, meant we could playfully express each beer’s distinct personality, whilst heroing the Brooklyn master brand.
The design is now unified across multipacks and all their other key sales formats for better recognition and shelf stand out.
“Brooklyn’s brand assets were being used in different ways across different touchpoints, making it difficult for consumers to join the dots and recognise the brand instantly. This was creating a huge commercial barrier to sales, so it was our ambition from the start to create a united identity where all brand communications sing off the same hymn sheet.”
Dave Timothy, Managing Director
We equipped Brooklyn with a clear template for limited release brews to build excitement and add a feeling of collectibility, whilst maintaining a strong sense of identity.
