Calgary Brewing Co.

The Challenge

Calgary Brewing Co. was entering a competitive craft beer market saturated with established brands and distinctive visual identities. They needed packaging and advertising that would capture the spirit of their brewing philosophy—bold, traditional, yet approachable—while standing out in both retail environments and promotional campaigns.

The challenge was to create a cohesive brand language that worked across multiple product lines, various packaging formats (bottles, cans, and tap handles), and marketing materials, all while maintaining shelf appeal and production efficiency.

My Role

As the lead designer on this project, I handled:

• Brand identity development and visual language definition
• Product packaging design for bottles and cans
• Advertising campaign creative direction
• Print production management and quality control
• Brand guidelines documentation

Design Approach

Craft Meets Contemporary

The visual identity needed to honor traditional brewing heritage while appealing to modern craft beer consumers. I developed a design system that balanced classic typography with bold, contemporary illustrations, creating packaging that felt both timeless and current.

Shelf Impact Strategy

In retail environments, visibility is everything. I designed the packaging with high-contrast color schemes and distinctive graphic elements that would catch the eye from across a store aisle. Each beer variety received its own color palette while maintaining overall brand cohesion through consistent typography and layout structure.

Scalable System

The design system was built to accommodate future product launches without diluting brand recognition. I created modular graphic elements and established clear guidelines for how the brand could evolve across different beer styles and seasonal releases.

Technical Execution

Working closely with print vendors and label manufacturers, I ensured the designs translated perfectly from digital mockups to physical products. This included:

• Optimizing artwork for various printing methods (offset, digital, and flexographic)
• Color management across different substrates and finishes
• Specification of specialized finishes (metallic inks, embossing, matte varnishes)
• Production file preparation and vendor coordination

Advertising Campaign

Beyond packaging, I developed a series of advertising materials that extended the brand's visual language into print ads, posters, and point-of-sale displays. The campaign emphasized the brewing company's local roots and commitment to quality ingredients, using bold photography paired with the distinctive graphic style established in the packaging.

Results & Impact

Key Learnings

This project reinforced the importance of designing for the complete customer journey—from shelf browsing through consumption. The most successful packaging doesn't just look good in isolation; it performs in competitive retail environments and connects emotionally with the target audience.

Working within the constraints of print production also taught valuable lessons about balancing creative ambition with manufacturability and cost-effectiveness, skills that translate directly to digital product design where technical constraints are equally important.