Original 16
The premium prairie beer. Almost 30 years ago, after being told their brewery was to be closed, 16 employees pooled their resources and founded the Great Western Brewing Company. Eleven years after Original 16 launched, I was tasked with rebranding it.
Before
The original Original 16 family packaging.
After
Original 16 is often shortened to "O16" by locals; I incorporated this bar call into the branding. To represent that it is a premium brand, I reused existing elements in a new way, for example, pulling the crown from the circle crest and using it as its own element. The main objective was a more modern, premium look without straying so far as to lose the existing customer.
Brand usage guide
Updating the Original 16 branding goes beyond the cans and packaging. I created a brand usage guide that all future designers can reference to maintain consistency. Click to view the full document.
The branding in use
A few examples of the Original 16 branding in the wild.
“The packaging is getting rave reviews and it is turning into growth for the portfolio!”
Darren Mitchell, Phoenix Group & Great Western Brewing