If you’ve followed breweries for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed that branding refreshes occur regularly. Preserving market share is a challenge and breweries often rely on fresh labeling with new designs to recapture the attention and dollars of consumers.
Pyramid Brewing just announced their new branding, which is making its way to a beer fridge near you. I’ve been writing this blog for nearly 10 years, and I’ve written about two previous rebranding efforts.
The first rebrand occurred back in 2012. At that time, I thought it was an excellent change, as they moved away from their dated “lifestyle” theme that made their beers look like sports drinks. I expect this refresh was quite successful, as it lasted six years.
The next rebrand happened in 2018. I also liked the cohesive look that this iteration provided. However, it didn’t have a long shelf life and lasted just two years.
Last week, Pyramid announced its newest refresh. You can see three of the rebranded bottles below. Each label sports a unique, bright, bold image. However, outside of Pyramid’s name and logo, the labeling lacks a cohesive feel and identity, in my humble opinion. They clearly are eye catching—and that’s likely the intent.
What is impressive is the longevity of Pyramid’s flagship beers. These have each been around for a long time in beer years. At 10 years of age, Outburst Imperial IPA is the youngster of the trio. In an age of “what have you done for me lately,” the fact that these beers have been relevant in the market for so long is impressive!
This success hasn’t stopped Pyramid from experimenting with a portion of its lineup. Blazing Bright Juicy IPA, a year-round release, is available in cans only. If you like hazies, you’ll definitely want to give this one a try. The design shown below is an experimental label that was wedged between the previous and newly launched branding.
So be on the lookout for these new labels. If you don’t like them–don’t worry. Nothing is permanent! Thanks to Pyramid for the samples! I’ll look forward to re-tasting these NW classics in the near future.
For more details, check out Pyramid’s news release below.
Pyramid Brewing, makers of the award-winning Apricot Ale, announced a major packaging redesign for the brewery’s existing beer lineup. With an entirely new look, the updates offer fresh imagery and bold patterns to keep longtime Pyramid fans thirsty while drawing the attention of newer craft beer drinkers.
“After trying out a wildly new design on Blazing Bright, we knew it was time to take a big leap with our entire lineup,” said Pyramid Brewing’s Brand Director, Bruce Kehe. “It’s been a ton of fun working on and launching such a large packaging overhaul. The new art does a fantastic job echoing the pride we have in our beer’s quality and flavor.”
For decades the primary feature of the brewery’s packaging has been the iconic pyramids situated in illustrated landscapes. For the new packaging, these scenes are replaced with a graphic-forward, simplified identity. Each beer’s ingredients, history, and personality are distilled into a single icon wrapped in waves of bright, radiating lines. When placed side by side, the individual brands contribute to a unified billboard effect.
The design project was executed by Tim Karpinksi, a Portland-based graphic design conceptor who tested a half dozen explorations before arriving at the new, final architecture. He also made subtle adjustments to the Pyramid logo by giving the pyramids a cleaner and sharper two-color look and attaching them directly to Pyramid’s wordmark.
The new designs are featured on all 12oz bottles, 22oz bottles and package cartons for Pyramid Hefeweizen, Apricot Ale, Outburst Imperial IPA, and the seasonal series, which includes Snow Cap Winter Ale, Curveball Blonde Ale, and Subliminal State Hazy Pale Ale. Early versions of the art have been seen on Blazing Bright Juicy IPA and on some seasonal releases. The remaining brands will receive the new design treatment throughout the year.
About Pyramid Brewing
Born in the Pacific Northwest, Pyramid Brewing Co. crafts some of the PNW’s favorite brews from its year-round ales and lagers to its highly anticipated rotating seasonals. In 1984, Pyramid discovered a new way of crafting beer by bringing together adventure, friends, and bold new flavors and innovations that have withstood the tests of time. Find Pyramid beers by visiting: www.pyramidbrew.com.
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