Iron Road Brewing
Richard and Jared of Iron Road Brewing approached me to handle their branding after a couple unsuccessful identity designs. Being from Kamloops, a railroad town, they wanted to capture a strong, blue-collar industry look that would resonate with the locals, but also attract a younger crowd since they're located so close to Thompson Rivers University.
A strong slab-serif font reminiscent of their historical railway industry and bold colour palette are essential to this identity, giving it that balance of industrial and modern. The dark charcoal and rusty orange tones (iron and rust) are tied into not only the railway industry, but the aesthetic direction the brewery took on as well.
The iron spike that separates the typography is an iconic image of its own, which worked its way into an alternate "IR" identity with surrounding details that are representative of the front of an old steam locomotive to further tie in with the town's history.
From packaging to stationery and merchandise, the overall brand aesthetic created for Iron Road Brewing lends itself towards a strong, industrial yet welcoming image.
Results
Since Iron Road opened their doors, they've become a popular spot in Kamloops. Iron Road’s beer can be found in over 65 retail locations including bars, liquor stores, restaurants, golf courses and hotels. Their Boomer Wild Ale also took home a gold medal from the 2018 BC Beer Awards.
“Brett goes above and beyond while working on our brand’s designs, and delivers a final product that we’re very happy with. He works very quickly and meets all deadlines, keeping us in the loop during the whole process.”