Royal Bliss Brewing Co. Brand Development
For nearly 2 years of full-time engagement, I worked with an husband and wife startup on every brand touch point imaginable:
- naming (brewery itself and products)
- logo design
- brand style & design
- brand voice & personality
- social media campaigns/content
- merchandise design
- print collateral
- photography/videography/editing
- interior design
- wall mural
- and much more
This was a unique opportunity to not only have entire responsibility over every aspect of a brand, but it was also an incredible lesson in business training.
New business challenges & lessons aside, at the time of the pandemic shutdown announcement, we were prepared to open our doors in just 5 days. We immediately pivoted and were able to surpass all of our expectations while following all safety regulations and precautions.
My blood, sweat, and tears were put into launching this company, and I am proud of the success they have continued to achieve.
Deep brand guidelines offer a glimpse into the strategy at play for this very successful brewery. Check them out here.
Photo above courtesy of Dawn DiPietro.
The beer can system employs a minimalist design approach while incorporating a vibrant secondary color palette to create a straightforward yet captivating appearance on store shelves. Each label showcases a prominent and thoughtfully constructed sentence, addressing a common issue we discovered with many craft beer packages: they tend to prioritize artistry and style over providing clear information about the contents of the can.
The design and language of the menus (and all other collateral) were crafted with simplicity and clarity in mind. This helped support the overall approachability of the brewery, both to intimidated craft newbies (who appreciated not needing prerequisite knowledge) and the typically over-stimulated craft crowd.
Beers were displayed on well-lit cards that were easily swapped out as the tap rotated. A local vendor provided quick & consistent quality which helped us make a unique impression on visitors.
Throughout the entire space are many subtle brand touchpoints - all designed to complement, and never distract from, incredible architecture of the facility.
Uniforms were open to most branded material, but each employee received a few high-quality t-shirts, each with an area for personalization.
Occasionally we had professional photographers, but I had to shoot nearly all of the photography... which required a lot of touching up.
The personality of the brand balanced playful snarkiness with understated and approachable wisdom that was dripping in compassion. Occasionally simple text-based posts were implemented to drop a dose of balance and humanize our operation.
Merch and breweries go hand-in-hand. Each design was considered an extension of the brand while seeking ways to connect with the audience in a way that was authentic to themselves as well.
Armed with a modern cell phone and basic editing software, I was able to create videos that were high-enough quality to be eye-catching, yet still has a sense of unrefined edge that kept things human.
Mural painting was accomplished with the help of the unmistakable genius of Norma.
A snapshot many months after opening - my social media efforts consistently resulted in higher engagement rates than all of the established, top-tier breweries in the area.
