The Surly Bottle Project is a quarterly beer release program for craft beer fans looking to bolster their coveted collections. The collection was limited to 500 bottles per release and Surly fans were clamoring to get their hands on these unique beers. The 2023 batch, titled Four Seasons, sold out within weeks of launching. The Four Seasons collection was inspired by the conversation topic all Minnesotans default to in socializing lulls, the weather. The bottles were available to pickup in person at Surly's destination brewery. This gave us the opportunity to craft thoughtful quarterly launch gatherings that included free beer samples, paired appetizers, and Q&A panels with award-winning brewers and distillers.
The bottles contained premium, rare beer and the design directly reflects this with matte black soft touch labels, spot gloss details, foil effects, and a hand-dipped wax top. I simplified the feeling of each season into a single illustration, allowing only two colors per label, swapping out the hue to pair with the season it represents.
Project Type: Brand Identity & Package Design
Role: Art Director/Designer
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop
Year: 2023
Role: Art Director/Designer
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop
Year: 2023
IDENTITY
The Surly Bottle Project logo is an evergreen mark created to be used each year a new collection is released. A blackletter typeface was selected and customized pairing nicely with the elegant finishes on the labels.
collateral
This product had a full scale rollout including email newsletters, posters, e-commerce store page, social media strategy, digital displays, and merchandise.
LABELS
I gathered seasonal inspiration through my experiences living in Minnesota. The wispy smoke escaping from a frozen chimney, dripping icicles from bare tree branches, a glowing autumn moon, and a festive candle are simple images that connect the customer to the product instantly.
LAUNCH EVENTS
With each bottle release came a carefully curated launch event. We invited all of our collection holders to come to the brewery and enjoy free beer samples of the latest release, tasty bites created by our chef, and beer-centric panels expanding on the brewing process with local experts. These events were well attended and warmly received by our guests.