Branding is a part of design I’ve always admired and for a while, I’ve wanted to jump back into it and try to improve as a designer in this area. For that reason, I put together a fictional client, in this case a brewery and developed a brand identity for them!
July Moon Brewing Co. is a hypothetical upcoming brewery based in the Pacific Northwest. They are a family-owned company with an emphasis on experimenting with flavors and styles of craft beer and an interest in bringing in the more adventurous crowd of their targeted demographic.
For their newly-formed brewery, they were looking for an approachable and inviting brand identity that looks and feels retro, a little modern and playful. While they are interested in appealing to beer aficionados, they also want to welcome novices entering the world of craft beer and want to avoid potentially alienating any new comers.
“At July Moon Brewing, we’re dedicated to creating artisan beer. Family owned with a passion for pushing boundaries in our brews, our goal is to not only provide beer that tastes great but a drink that’s perfect for any occasion. Whether you're drinking it during a sizzling, hot afternoon or on a cool, breezy night, gazing up at the moon and stars, we offer you an invitation to let us help your love of beer grow.“
-July Moon Brewing Co. Mission Statement
Logo
Inspired by the brewery’s name referencing the month of July, I included a firefly with a full moon as fireflies are considered a symbol of summer and the full moon acting as the glow from the insect’s bioluminescence in its abdomen and referencing the second part of the brewery’s name.
For the type, Freehouse by Rian Hughes fit well with displaying that sense of nostalgia along with appearing friendly and playful, fitting perfectly with July Moon’s brand personality while Interstate by Tobias Frere-Jones keeps the logo grounded with its clean presence and signage-like quality.
Color & Type
For July Moon’s color palette, I selected hazy warm and cool tones that appear more prominent during the summer months in the form of smoke bombs and firecrackers, skygazing, beach bonfires and barbecues.
Bree Serif Bold and Regular by Veronika Burian and José Scaglione were picked for the headers and subheaders for their versatility in multiple weights and personality driven design. Open Sans by Steven Matteson works well in anchoring the body copy with its wider, open forms.
Usage Scenarios
With all the branding elements completed, I began to work on designing some printed collateral and merch. Business cards, glassware and coasters were a must from the start. The coasters received a few different design options in the process. For the rest, I kept in mind July Moon’s target demographic consisting of west coast drinkers who road-trip and spend a lot of time outdoors. I could imagine them bundling up in hoodies and beanies or keeping cool with t-shirts and snapback caps. A sticker pack with plenty of stickers inside as a fun avenue to show support for the brewery and finally, bottle openers, both traditional and as a key-ring, could be convenient to bring along or have at all times when traveling and wanting to crack open a nice, cool bottle of beer.
