Scott Nicholson Design

Storytelling in Beer Brands

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:10:26 -0500

Storytelling continues to play a vital role in successful product branding. It allows an audience to see beyond what is being sold, or the service being provided, and creates an opportunity to reach a consumer on a deeper level while adding personality and character to the brand, big or small. The following beer brands are great examples of how storytelling can be used in brand building.

Full Steam Brewery, Durham NC

Full Steam is a new brewery and tavern in Durham North Carolina. The story behind the brand is one that has deep southern roots, with ties to agricultural, industrial, and culinary traditions. Full Steam’s goal is to brew beer using locally harvested ingredients. Their “Plow-to-Pint” series features a sweet potato ale and a hickory smoked porter, with plans to roll out a grape ale and a winter beer flavored with persimmon. These beers are brewed with ingredients that are locally in-season, creating a sustainable offering year round. For a more conventional, blue-collar experience, their “Workers’ Compensation” series includes the “Rocket Science IPA” and “Working Man’s Lunch”.

The narrative that was developed around the brand even has a “semi-fictitious” character, Liboroius Golhart, a southern plantation worker who brewed beer with his own ingredients. His identity can be seen on the taps in their tavern, the website, and Full Steam gear. Full Steam does a great job of creating a story that connects the product with the southern heritage, creating a valuable connection to its audience. The visuals of the brand also contribute to the nostalgic southern feel, with “engraved” illustrations, textural elements and eccentric typography.

Cape Ann Brewing Company, Gloucester MA

This microbrewery set up shop a few years ago in downtown Gloucester MA. They feature a handful of year round beers, including their flagship Fisherman’s Brew. All of their selections have a “bold flavor and character that reflects the spirit and courage of the sailors of the North Atlantic fishing fleet.” Perhaps the boldest is the aptly named Fisherman’s Navigator, a German style dopple-bock.

The brewery’s narrative is centered around the historic fishing town and port. The Fisherman’s series is “a tribute to hard work and enduring friendships.” This theme is built out visually with the lighthouse logo, and “fisherman at the wheel” illustration on the beer labels and taps.

Their original space featured a small pub in the front of the brewery, serving a handful of freshly brewed offerings. Continuing with the overall theme, the bar itself was built to look like the side of a ship. It is a warm, welcoming atmosphere to share a beer with friends. Overall, Cape Ann does a great job of connecting the product to their location, and using it as part of their story.

Just Beer, Westport MA, “Case of the IPA”

Just Beer has taken “storytelling” quite literally in their “Case of the IPA” series. To capture the attention of their consumers, the brewery teamed up with an author to create a detective/mystery story. The twelve chapter fictional piece is printed right on the labels of the 22oz bottles, one chapter per beer.

This is an innovative way to narrate a story around a product, one that the reader (drinker) can delve deeper into as they go through the case of beer while trying to solve the mystery. Enjoying the beer while reading the story is a unique experience you cant get anywhere else.

Building a narrative around a brand can go a long way, and when an audience can relate to a story there is a longer lasting impression. Admittedly, great beer is about taste, but these brands go above and beyond to present their product in a unique and creative way.

6 Design Blogs You Should Be Following

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:31:02 -0500

6 Design Blogs You Should Be Following

A Look Back: Great Design from...

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:17:00 -0500

A Look Back: Great Design from 2010

http://www.antleragency.com/best-design-2010/

Old pencil sketch I did, in the process of digitally painting...

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:26:38 -0500

Old pencil sketch I did, in the process of digitally painting it.

Steve Buscemi Creep-O-Meter Infographic

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 11:36:43 -0500

Steve Buscemi Creep-O-Meter Infographic

Brand Personality in Package Design

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:09:14 -0500

Brand Personality in Package Design

Comfortably Numb cover, dont miss the solo at 2:08

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:40:10 -0500

Comfortably Numb cover, dont miss the solo at 2:08

Antler Guide to Tumblr

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:00:45 -0500

Antler Guide to Tumblr:

The guide to tumblr I designed for Antler is now up. Check it out.

Creative Director, Don Raymond. Copy, Beth Tucker.

Atomic Tom live performance on NY subway using only iPhones

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:48:34 -0500

Atomic Tom live performance on NY subway using only iPhones

Illustrations for Antler’s tumblr guide, link to download...

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:42:21 -0400

Illustrations for Antler’s tumblr guide, link to download full pdf version coming soon.

My first real installation design. One of three illustrations...

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:20:44 -0400

My first real installation design. One of three illustrations printed in vinyl on acrylic plates for the Antler Agency office. More pics coming soon. Creative Director, Don Raymond.

I want to work here

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:00:53 -0400

I want to work here

I wonder how they came up with this… “We need a new...

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 10:37:27 -0400

I wonder how they came up with this…

“We need a new logo, something outside the box”

“Ok, how about we write “GAP” and put a box behind it?”

“Brilliant!…it might be to plain though, put a gradient or a lens flare on the box”

Poster for Dave Crespo’s After Party

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:33:03 -0400

Poster for Dave Crespo’s After Party

New Business Cards

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:15:27 -0400

New Business Cards

Some old license plates, picked up at a garage sale.

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:56:14 -0400

Some old license plates, picked up at a garage sale.

Minimalist Magazine Covers

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:55:38 -0400

I decided to start this self-initiated project in response to various collections of “minimalist” art and design, from ads to movie posters. I always find it interesting to see the approaches taken in minimalist work, and how effective these simple ideas can be. The medium I have been looking into is magazines.

Many of today’s popular magazine covers are generally cluttered, have lots of copy, gossip, retouched photos of models, or are littered with headshots of the Twilight cast. Looking at all these covers on a newsstand can be overwhelming. I imagined a newsstand full of very simplistic covers, with minimal text and imagery. This led to the creation of these Minimalist Magazine Covers.

I have taken some mainstream publications, a few obscure ones too, and simplified their covers (10 total). These magazines do not necessarily have anything wrong with them the way they are, just approaching it from a different perspective.