FDBusiness.com

Growler Brewery has called on JDO Brand Design and Innovation to create a new identity for its portfolio of products

The agency created a series of personalities for each brand “injecting a certain irreverence into the individual house ale brands” – Old Growler, Growler Bitter, Umbel, Lemon Head and Essex Border.

The agency wanted to create a cohesive identity and communicate Growler Brewery’s Essex provenance with “confidence and a healthy dose of attitude”.

The focus for the new identity is the Old Growler – a British bulldog who has become synonymous with the beer and the brewery, having originally been the old Brew Master’s dog, and subsequently appearing on the flagship brand’s labels and pumpclips in various guises over the years.

Nicky Parr, Design Director, JDO said: “The bulldog is the guy we all engage with and who encapsulates the spirit and attitude of the brewery. We’ve evolved this loveable dog by giving him more personality, and imbuing him with a quirky sense of fun which makes him more accessible to younger drinkers.

“As a key brand equity, he’s now the ‘umbrella’ icon which links the brewery and the beers with a subtle brand glue and just a little bit of ‘tongue-in-cheek humour. It was really important to balance edgy attitude, craft and personality without it looking old-fashioned.”

Growler Brewery managing director Rob Flanagan added: “We wanted the new identity to reflect the culture of the brewery. Growler Brewery is a mature business but we are young guys with plenty of energy and imagination. We take the craft of brewing very seriously but not ourselves, and we wanted the branding to reflect the coming together of these qualities.”