So what's the one thing we always bang on about at Ale Artistry? While the beers themselves are great, it is the artwork and the artists behind them that we aim to champion. Beer label design has undergone a massive transformation since its early days (keep tuning in to the blog for a future post on the history of labels...) and perhaps now more than ever, label design is no longer an afterthought. Instead, it can be seen as minature canvases packed with creativity, character and meaning. As breweries try to stand out and compete in what is a packed market, it is impossible to ignore the surge of visual artistry in the beer scene.
Label designs are now doing so much more than catching the eye. Stories are told and brand identities are built in all kinds of unique ways such beers are becoming collectible before they're even cracked open. We've spent a lot of hours admiring these tiny pieces of art so we wanted to share some of the bold, excitiing and, maybe, unexpected design themes across the industry.
Here are five of the most intriguing ones we've seen in modern beer label design:
1. Bold, loud and in your face
The attention seeking, maximalist approach that has created labels that are bold, layered and unaplogetically loud. Some of the key characteristics include overlapping textures, jarring colour palettes and glitchy, collage-like illustrations feel more like zines or underground music posters than product packaging.
This trend is popular amongst some of the industry's biggest hitters such as Omnipollo and Evil Twin, whose labels often blend surrealism with digital distortion. And what's the result? A label you want to spin around in your hand as you're never quite sure what you're looking at!
Our label to highlight - Even More Hipsterish, an IPA by Evil Twin.
2. Minimal but noticeable?
Well this had to be the next trend right? Just as opposites attract, the rise in maximalism has awoken its antidote with many breweries now opting for ultra-simple designs with clean fonts, single colour backgrounds and lots of white space. There's a feel of sophistication about some of these cans where the beer is allowed to speak for itself.
Indeed, this was the very design approach we chose for The Art in Craft which we created with lots of white space so that the labels could be the centre piece of the album, akin to going to an art gallery.
Not unexpectedly, Scandanavian breweries like To Øl and Mikkeller use this approach, often evoking elegance and purity in their labels. It could be said that as larger than life beer label design became the norm, it was the simpler design that actually began to stand out on the shelves, potentially suggesting a quiet confidence from the brewery about what they've put in the can.
Our label to highlight: Lager, by Small Beer (or any from their Core Four Range)
3. Interaction and the rise of tech-labels
While we do actively encourage interacting with beer labels by removing and collecting them in your very own copy of The Art in Craft, this isn't the only way to play with your can art. QR codes, scratch-offs and peel to reveal are some of the examples of a more interactive style of beer label.
Canadian brewery Collective Arts often embeds QR coes into their cans that link to artist bios or curated content. These labels aren't just about branding, they help to build an experience around the beer and drive interest in the brewery and the people they work with.
Back on these shores, Northern Monk are royalty when it comes to an interactive collab with their Patron's Project series beers often including peel away labels that include a background and story about the Patrons themselves.
Our beer to highlight: Philly Cheesesteak, a DDH pale by Nortern Monk and Sandwich King.
4. Illustrated worlds and character design
Now this one is perhaps the most distincitive of all the themes and has been successfully mastered by some of the biggest names in the industry. The use of repeated designs and characters across a brewery's range of beers has created some highly recognisable brand indentities. These labels feel familiar and feel like the start and continuation of a never ending story. Think Deya and their Croc. Left Handed Giant and their circular man. Beavertown and their iconic cartoon style.
As each beer is released like a chapter in a new book, we can't help but feel instantly curious about what will be next. Where will the character end up next? What will they be doing? It plays on the great human desire to always know what's happening with who and at what time.
Our beer to highlight: Steady Rolling Man, by Deya (it had to be!)
5. Artist Collabs and Limited Series
Building on the theme of interaction, more breweries are teaming up with independant artists, illustrators and even tattoers to create one-of-a-kind labels. These collaborations often result in limited edition can art that has that collectible feel.
These collabs could be for charitable causes, highlighting local talent or raising the spotlight on social and environmental causes. Which ever they may be, these labels give the drinker a reason to think beyond the taste, research into the people or organisations working on the collab and build a meaningful collection of label art.
Our beer to highlight: Concrete Blues, as ESB by Beak Brewery in collaboration with Alyston Upshaw III (Concrete Blues)
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And there we have it. This isn't a definitive list of what's happening with beer label design but just some of the themes we wanted to talk about.
At Ale Artistry, we believe these designs deserve more than a momentary glance as their cans are emptied. That's why we ceated The Art in Craft to give give beer lovers a way to collect, celebrate and preserve the art that goes hand-in-hand with their favourite beers.
Get yourself a copy today and next time you crack open a can, take a moment to appreciate the label too.
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Credit to Northern Monk and Sandwich King for their image of the Philly Cheesesteak.