Overview and Purpose:
Brookston Oaks is a brewery located in Ontario, Canada, focused on crafting 100% gluten-free beer that proves great taste never needs to be compromised. Built on family tradition and a deep connection to the farm, the brand exists to bring people together over quality craft beer. Brookston Oaks partnered with Douglas Marketing Group (DMG) to develop a playful, confident packaging system that would reposition gluten-free beer as uncompromisingly good craft beer rather than a niche or health-focused alternative.
The goal: Making it clear the beer was gluten-free without alienating people who simply enjoy good craft beer. The designs needed to be playful and fun, while still confidently communicating quality and great taste and incorporating nods to their Celtic heritage.
Strategy and Execution:
We leaned into what people already love about great craft beer packaging like classic elements, strong visuals, and cans that catch your eye.
- Reviewing both heritage and modern craft beer packaging to understand the visual cues that feel familiar, confident, and timeless to beer drinkers.
- Focused on creating bold, illustrative designs that would stand out on shelf, ensuring the gluten-free messaging was present but not the focal point.
- Each beer can was treated as its own story, but when lined up together, they clearly belonged to the same Brookston Oaks family.
- Navigate LCBO guidelines for a category with evolving regulations, making it clear the beer was gluten-free without alienating people who simply enjoy good craft beer.
- Sharing the family’s personal connection to celiac disease, the brand could speak directly to gluten-free drinkers in an honest, meaningful way, building trust without overexplaining or feeling preachy.
- Layered the brand’s roots, drawing inspiration from their Celtic heritage and the family farm itself, with nods to Highland cattle, oak trees, and the land that shaped the brewery.
Why It Worked:
- The colour palette, textures, and illustration style were all influenced by the brand’s playful nature, Celtic heritage and family farm to create a look that felt both rooted and approachable.
- Brookston Oaks can and packaging designs established a cohesive, recognizable identity for the brand that would stand out on shelves and create a connection to gluten free beer drinkers while welcoming all beer drinkers.
Results:
- Winner of a Graphis GOLD award for packaging design.
- A brand that confidently communicates its 100% gluten-free commitment and family heritage while still feeling welcoming to anyone who simply loves a great-tasting beer.
