Brewing Identities: Why Cre@te Crafts Its Own Brands
If you’ve been following Cre@te this past year, you’ve noticed we’ve been sharing a lot about ¡S@lud!, a fictional beer and lifestyle brand created by us to blur the line between concept and reality. Every flavor, photo, and pixel was crafted to showcase how far storytelling, design, and execution can take an idea, with zero brewing required. But what inspired us to invent such a brand in the first place?
For several years Cre@te has served as an ad and marketing agency for numerous major Fortune 500 beverage companies, developing key visuals and entire ad campaigns to promote their products. Within these companies we have worked with numerous different brands, acquainting ourselves with each brand’s look, feel, tone and messaging. Every brand tells a story, and through those stories we learned about their histories and evolutions, and most importantly, we came to know how each brand appeals to their respective target consumers. This comprehensive understanding of a brand’s ins and outs is key for us in developing successful strategies for our clients.
The ¡S@lud! brand, in turn, was brewed to serve as an exhibition of Cre@te’s first-rate creative services, highlighting the agency’s proven flair for brand identity and visual design with a label we could call our own. It is a reflection of our in-depth knowledge and experience in the beverage industry, applied to develop a full brand experience that showcases what our team has to offer.
Identity Discovery
What makes a brand? It is more than just a catchy name, a cool logo and a color palette. A brand represents the core values of the company and the people behind the brand. There are many factors that influence how a brand is perceived by consumers, and having a solid identity can help communicate what the brand is, who it is for and why it exists.
With ¡S@lud! we wanted to create a brand that could appeal to the more discerning Gen-Z beer drinker. One that leans into the craft brew vibe and more outgoing lifestyle, one that inspires making connections and memories with peers, hence our chosen slogan “For the good times.” We conceived ¡S@lud! to be an IPA inspired by Mexican cervezas with a modern twist, with an emphasis on bold citrusy flavors, bridging the gap between traditional brewing and present-day tastes. These values not only influenced our design choices for the logo and packaging, but also the marketing visuals we’ve developed for the brand’s website and Instagram.
Beyond Beer
We realize that consumers have a wide range of tastes and preferences, and some may have differing opinions about a brand like ¡S@lud!. With that in mind, we have recently developed another in-house fictional beverage brand: Turtle Rock Whiskey. Inspired by Turtle Rock Island, a real-life natural landmark found in the scenic beauty of central Washington, Turtle Rock Whiskey was conceived to appeal to a different type of consumer: one that appreciates more traditional comforts like country-side nature, quiet peaceful evenings and rural aesthetics. We considered these values in the design of the bottle and label, as well as the brand’s earth tone color palette.
Of course, Cre@te’s capabilities in brand identity and strategy extend beyond just beverages. Our talented team has invaluable work experience in a wide range of industries including law, medicine, digital and tabletop games, community organization, and many others. We help businesses of all kinds find their vision and voice in building brand strategies that resonate with their customers on an emotional level, helping to build trust and loyalty. Our creative team members take the time to understand the needs of the business and the market to develop visual solutions that both look the part and stand out from the competition. From start to finish we take pride in our proven brand-building process:
Identity Discovery – We help businesses find the right tone for their brands, utilizing market research & aligning with company values.
Visual Design – Stunning key visuals and modern websites that exude integrity while promoting up to date activity.
Brand Guidelines – Logo design, color palettes and key elements established for clear communication and consistency
Customer Outreach – Consumer advocacy, social media management, & engagement campaigns to reach clientele.
Whether you’re building a new brand from scratch or looking to take yours to the next level, the Cre@te team is here to assist in every step of the way. Get in touch with us today and see what we can do for your business.
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By Brian Favia
Chief Creative Officer
- 2 days