Brooklyn Brewery

Born in our hometown in 1988, Brooklyn Brewery was not only a harbinger of the craft beer movement, but is also one of the most recognizable representatives of our borough on the international stage. Its distinctive flagship brew, Brooklyn Lager, helped the company rise to prominence, but was in danger of getting lost in the fray as craft goes commercial.

Looking back to move forward, we were inspired by the treasure trove of historical objects and artwork found when we toured the company’s headquarters and by design legend Milton Glaser, the man responsible for the Brewery’s original branding. Aiming to revive the boldness of his work from back when the brand had nothing to lose, we fattened up the typography and paired it with simple, direct messaging that matched the unapologetic tone of the (stereo)typical Brooklynite. We repurposed graphic elements from the original packaging and elevated them to icon status.

Critical to the project’s success was creating a system that a system that could flex its Brooklyn-ness in ways appropriate for residents of the borough itself as well as international markets where Brooklyn was a buzzword. To that end, a tiered system of copy and imagery ranging from inside jokes to necessary cliché (i.e. the Brooklyn Bridge) ensured that marketers from Williamsburg to Warsaw have what they need to raise the bar.