THOMAS GEORGE PALE ALE
BACKGROUND: Brewery manager, Bede Roe, discovered a historic beer recipe, originally brewed in Wellington in the 1920s, from which he developed Thomas George Pale Ale. Black Dog was approached to develop this new brand.
SOLUTION: A modern take on a vintage aesthetic – the artwork and brand assets acknowledge Wellington's rich history whilst maintaining a bold, contemporary feel:
Thomas George is illustrated against a gold background, signalling his transition from gold miner to brewmaster. Isobars, clouds and George's flailing tie create movement across the design – a nod to "Windy Welly's" famous weather.
Client: Bede Roe
Deliverables: Branding & illustration – beer label design, packaging design, beer coaster/mat design, t-shirt design.
Creative Director: James Sullivan
bottle cap design // Thomas George Beer
t-shirt design // beer coaster design
beer bottle design // beer label design
WHAT THEY SAID:
"I approached James to help recreate a heritage beer label. James embraced the concept and explored, designed and presented three very different routes for the beer label design before developing the final illustrations.
We wanted something different that looked classic as well as modern and would stand out against the big breweries and also the craft beer crowd. A tricky task that James smashed out of the park!"
- Bede Roe, Brewery Manager
