Hop Secret Brewing Company

Packaging Print Design

Craft beer labels, packaging and promotional magazine design.

After first researching and then identifying the target market (24-39 year-olds), the brief stipulated that I come up with a name for the new (fictitious) craft brewery before establishing their brand identity. I was also required to produce a promotional on-shelf pack, showcasing three of their beers, that includes a brochure/zine.

The name I developed, if it isn't apparent already, was the Hop Secret Brewing Company, following an espionage theme and providing ample scope for the bottle label design. Beer is meant to be social, enjoyable and fun. Such a theme enabled an injection of wit into the design. The promotional packaging had to be a black attaché case with the brochure extending the theme as an A5 manila file containing the classified papers.

The three beers - Secret Service, Redaction and Cipher continued the spy/espionage theme. Each supporting subtle gimmicks.

In Secret Service the neck label is positioned lower than the 'standard' height. This achieves the eye-catching effect of scanning along the shelf and seeing a dip in the labels.

With Redaction, the packaging takes the more literal meaning of 'red action' with a label that changes when then distinctive red wrap is removed – the previously redacted text becomes readable. The red cellophane blocks the red text and turns the light blue black. The logo is an off shade of red so that it is still visible through the wrap.

For Cipher the label intentionally over extends, with die-cut squares revealing the Cipher name among the scrambled letters. The label uses a small tuck cut to hold it in place, removing the need for a glue spot. The label also contains 'hidden' messages, for example the Morse Codes.