Rockaway Brewing Company

Creating a brand for the food and beverage category has unique challenges — like creating a brand you want to have a beer with

Overview

Leveraging local color and the heritage of an urban oasis

As the first craft brewery in the borough of Queens, Rockaway Brewing Company had two challenges: first, devising a name amid hundreds of clever-sounding upstarts and, second, embracing the richness of a forgotten oceanside neighborhood now known, more than anything, for its surfing scene. Over more than a few beers, we helped the founders carve out a local craft beer brand, creating everything from a visual and verbal identity to POS marketing, product packaging, a range of brand swag and a visual presence at the bar.

Over the past 10 years, the brand has stayed consistent while the point-of-sale design has evolved. Recently, the can design and packaging system underwent a dynamic, visual update. As the beer styles and demand grew, we collaborated with the brewing team to design a packaging approach that served as a canvas with brand medallion (the RB Co. seal) as the visual core, while allowing a whimsical illustration style to embody the essence and personality of what’s inside the can. With each unique beer style type or name, the illustrations take on a new persona, ensuring the brand always feels fresh, current and perpetually fun. By continually refreshing the visual standards while maintaining brand continuity, we’ve ensured that Rockaway Brewing Company not only stays relevant but also continuously redefines the essence of a local craft beer brand.