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BrandAid brews a rebrand for Emerson’s

With the explosion of craft beer up and down the country, Dunedin’s iconic Emerson’s Brewery felt it needed to bring something fresh to the market, so it called in BrandAid to help with a rebrand.

Creative director Luke Johnston says Emerson’s strengths lay in its product, which has a long history as a trusted brand, and the unique personality of its founder Richard Emerson.

“We went back to the start with the brand and created a new tone of voice that was a mix of the self-depreciating ‘Dunedinite’ merged with Richard Emerson’s sense of humour.”

He adds that Emerson’s has been crafting beer since long before craft beer was a thing, and the recent explosion in the craft beer industry meant it needed to rethink its brand and its position in the market.

“The packaging was completely redesigned – while paying reference to the past and telling some of the great stories that had never been told.  One of my favourites is when the profoundly deaf Richard named Bird Dog after his favourite Verlaine’s song.” 

Johnston says he and his team wanted to help beer drinkers navigate the massive range of craft beer available.

“This led us to develop a way of communicating the flavour of each beer, making it easier for people to navigate the Emerson’s range and explore new beers without the risk of disappointment,” says Johnston.

For Johnston, the responsibility not to disappoint was enhanced by the fact the agency also calls Dunedin home.

“It was a huge honour and an even bigger responsibility to work on this very iconic Dunedin brand,” Johnston says.

He worked alongside a team of creatives from around New Zealand and Australia, including illustrators, animators, web developers and copywriters.

And so far so good for their work – the Emerson’s range took home Best Packaging at the Brewers Guild of NZ Awards earlier this year. 

Credits

Creative Direction & Design: Luke Johnston

Copywriting: Steve McCabe, Kim Fraser & Paul Hankinson

Illustration: Blair Sayer

Animation: David Way

Photography: Sam Mahayni

Website: Sons&Co

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