Backwoods Brewing Company was established in 2012 in Carson, WA.
They’ve been a successful brewery since then, capturing the affection of niche craft-beer lovers and grocery store shoppers alike. As they opened their location in the Pearl District, we sat down for a brand meeting. The doors were wide open, beckoning a new brand of consumer, and it was time to make an inviting adjustment to their packaging.
A delicate process
Backwoods is a family-owned operation that carries a heavy fan-base from their hometown in Carson, WA. It’s a small town, and many people have been part of Backwoods’ journey from early on. Everyone was attached to something - the imagery, the fonts, the treeline, the distressed look, etc. - so we tread lightly, keeping as many elements as we could while elevating their packaging to stand out on shelves again.
Logyard’s transformation
Logyard is special for many reasons, one of them being the image of the truck. It’s been part of the brand for many years, an image folks had grown accustomed to. We discussed simplifying Backwoods’ look - namely, moving away from distress and bringing their brilliantly simple icon to the forefront. The tree with the bottle inside is their swoosh, and for brand identification, it’s gold.
Our goals were to:
Maintain a connection with the old labels
Bring the bottle/tree icon front and center
Minimize and clarify the label’s content
Catch a shopper’s eye among other 12oz cans
Cultivate interest in a younger audience
Keep the OG fans happy
Take advantage of the medium to generate more visual interest
