As part of Vocation Brewery’s brand refresh, we were asked to consider a creative approach to regular specials the Hebden Bridge based brewery were planning to launch throughout 2019.

Starting in January, Vocation’s brewing team released monthly brews aiming to appeal to craft palates everywhere as outstanding examples of diverse brewing styles. From Japanese rice lager to juicy Berliner Weisse, the chosen beers cover a broad range of flavours and styles – so our approach had to be flexible.

Endless possibilities meant endless design opportunities but we knew that they style had to feel completely ownable to Vocation. The brand architecture we established for the core range aimed to give Vocation’s brand clearer representation, and so would provide the ideal framework for the specials. Having a strong structure meant more freedom (and a lot more fun) could be had in communicating the different personalities of each beer.

With just a line or two of brewer’s notes we developed concepts, names, stories and graphic styles inspired by each beer’s unique characteristics.

We played with tactility and, with much help from The Label Makers, were able to bring each concept to life through a number of special stocks, print processes and finishes.

Projects like this remind us how lucky we are to work with clients like Vocation who trust us to treat their brand as if it were our own. Not only incredibly fun to work on but a great opportunity for the whole creative team to get involved, and the breadth of styles represented is reflective of this.

Released in twos, each pair of Vocation’s Barrel Aged beers are made from
the same brew, then aged separately to give them their own complex flavour.
We opted for a minimalist approach to the design, using oak imagery to create a crafted feel, whilst amplifying the artistry and patience behind brewing this style of beer.