Seapine Brewing Co.

A taste of place

Since its founding in 2011, Seapine Brewing has become a Seattle favorite in craft brewing. Known for exceptional quality, bold flavors, and a fearless approach to experimentation, Seapine was filling its taproom with communities of beer lovers thirsty for a solid brew in the Pacific Northwest's signature style. In the wake of the 2020 pandemic shutdowns, Seapine needed to pivot from onsite keg sales to packaged beer by building a retail brand that could be as compelling on shelf as it was belly-up at the bar.

Roles:

Strategy
Positioning
Brand Development
Brand Articulation

Brand Narrative

Creative Direction
Art Direction
Identity Design
Design
Illustration
Packaging Design
Collateral Design
Copywriting

Beer you can trust

With taproom experiences at the core of Seapine’s brand equity, design systems and graphic assets were virtually non-existent. They were also critical to the success of the keg-to-shelf transition. Created in partnership with Seapine’s founder, our design strategy focused on the company’s respect for traditional beer making. In contrast to the landscape of contemporary craft beer trends, where wild designs telegraph experimentation and small-batch exploits, Seapine would instead emphasize timeless stability and expert craftsmanship made new.

Art of the brew

Beginning with the visual identity, we leveraged iconic elements of the PNW to create an emblem symbolic of Seapine’s bona fide quality and craftsmanship. Classic typography pairs understated style and CPG best practices with a set of custom patterns designed to create new memory structures for Seapine’s core range and seasonal releases. Hard working, classically elegant, and vibrantly fun, the retail packaging has landed in grocery stores and retail accounts across the region.

Special releases

For Seapine’s special releases, we reconfigured the packaging to differentiate them from standard releases and to focus on the custom artwork for each release. The brewery has more than one program of special releases, some are seasonal and focus on a type of beer for a certain time of year, while others are released on different schedules.

To maintain continuity across the different types of releases, we developed distinct illustration styles for the patterns. Seasonal releases feature character-based illustrations depicting seasonal activities, presented in a consistent style and perspective, while the other releases interpret the theme of the release in a graphic way.

More Work