Submerge
into the Psychedelic Depths
Submerge
into the Psychedelic Depths
Submerge
into the Psychedelic Depths
Submerge
into the Psychedelic Depths
SweetWater Brewing challenged me to reimagine how their new line of IPAs could capture the attention of a new generation of craft beer fans. I created Submerge—a fresh visual world expressed through custom illustrations, labels, and AI-driven marketing imagery. The result balances their psychedelic DNA with a modern edge that resonates.
SweetWater Brewing challenged me to reimagine how their new line of IPAs could capture the attention of a new generation of craft beer fans. I created Submerge—a fresh visual world expressed through custom illustrations, labels, and AI-driven marketing imagery. The result balances their psychedelic DNA with a modern edge that resonates.
SweetWater Brewing challenged me to reimagine how their new line of IPAs could capture the attention of a new generation of craft beer fans. I created Submerge—a fresh visual world expressed through custom illustrations, labels, and AI-driven marketing imagery. The result balances their psychedelic DNA with a modern edge that resonates.
SweetWater Brewing challenged me to reimagine how their new line of IPAs could capture the attention of a new generation of craft beer fans. I created Submerge—a fresh visual world expressed through custom illustrations, labels, and AI-driven marketing imagery. The result balances their psychedelic DNA with a modern edge that resonates.
01. Strategy
Characters That Connect
The challenge was to evolve a local brewery known for its trippy ‘70s aesthetic and trout icon into a brand that could reach Gen Z and younger Millennials. Research shows mascots are some of the strongest brand assets for growth and shareability, especially on social where fluent characters drive instant recognition. Leaning into this, I created a cast of wild, aquatic characters and human explorers infused with a wink of sarcastic humor to stand out in the crowded craft beer space.
01. Strategy
Characters That Connect
The challenge was to evolve a local brewery known for its trippy ‘70s aesthetic and trout icon into a brand that could reach Gen Z and younger Millennials. Research shows mascots are some of the strongest brand assets for growth and shareability, especially on social where fluent characters drive instant recognition. Leaning into this, I created a cast of wild, aquatic characters and human explorers infused with a wink of sarcastic humor to stand out in the crowded craft beer space.
01. Strategy
Characters That Connect
The challenge was to evolve a local brewery known for its trippy ‘70s aesthetic and trout icon into a brand that could reach Gen Z and younger Millennials. Research shows mascots are some of the strongest brand assets for growth and shareability, especially on social where fluent characters drive instant recognition. Leaning into this, I created a cast of wild, aquatic characters and human explorers infused with a wink of sarcastic humor to stand out in the crowded craft beer space.
01. Strategy
Characters That Connect
The challenge was to evolve a local brewery known for its trippy ‘70s aesthetic and trout icon into a brand that could reach Gen Z and younger Millennials. Research shows mascots are some of the strongest brand assets for growth and shareability, especially on social where fluent characters drive instant recognition. Leaning into this, I created a cast of wild, aquatic characters and human explorers infused with a wink of sarcastic humor to stand out in the crowded craft beer space.
02. The Transformation
Escaping the Juvenile Trap
The first release, Gummies, leaned too heavily into sweetness and ended up feeling more like a kids’ candy brand than an approachable IPA. With Submerge, I reframed the line to feel fun and psychedelic without ever tipping into childlike. The new characters, bolder visuals, and surreal underwater theme repositioned the beer line as adventurous, rebellious, and impossible to ignore on the shelf.
02. The Transformation
Escaping the Juvenile Trap
The first release, Gummies, leaned too heavily into sweetness and ended up feeling more like a kids’ candy brand than an approachable IPA. With Submerge, I reframed the line to feel fun and psychedelic without ever tipping into childlike. The new characters, bolder visuals, and surreal underwater theme repositioned the beer line as adventurous, rebellious, and impossible to ignore on the shelf.
02. The Transformation
Escaping the Juvenile Trap
The first release, Gummies, leaned too heavily into sweetness and ended up feeling more like a kids’ candy brand than an approachable IPA. With Submerge, I reframed the line to feel fun and psychedelic without ever tipping into childlike. The new characters, bolder visuals, and surreal underwater theme repositioned the beer line as adventurous, rebellious, and impossible to ignore on the shelf.
02. The Transformation
Escaping the Juvenile Trap
The first release, Gummies, leaned too heavily into sweetness and ended up feeling more like a kids’ candy brand than an approachable IPA. With Submerge, I reframed the line to feel fun and psychedelic without ever tipping into childlike. The new characters, bolder visuals, and surreal underwater theme repositioned the beer line as adventurous, rebellious, and impossible to ignore on the shelf.
03. Applications
Beyond the Can
Each IPA flavor was personified as part of a trippy aquatic gang, tying back to SweetWater’s fishing roots while pushing the brand into new waters. These characters were designed not just for labels, but as scalable assets for merchandise, social media content, and event activations. By making them portable across touchpoints, the Submerge IPAs became an experience, not just another can on the shelf.
03. Applications
Beyond the Can
Each IPA flavor was personified as part of a trippy aquatic gang, tying back to SweetWater’s fishing roots while pushing the brand into new waters. These characters were designed not just for labels, but as scalable assets for merchandise, social media content, and event activations. By making them portable across touchpoints, the Submerge IPAs became an experience, not just another can on the shelf.
03. Applications
Beyond the Can
Each IPA flavor was personified as part of a trippy aquatic gang, tying back to SweetWater’s fishing roots while pushing the brand into new waters. These characters were designed not just for labels, but as scalable assets for merchandise, social media content, and event activations. By making them portable across touchpoints, the Submerge IPAs became an experience, not just another can on the shelf.
03. Applications
Beyond the Can
Each IPA flavor was personified as part of a trippy aquatic gang, tying back to SweetWater’s fishing roots while pushing the brand into new waters. These characters were designed not just for labels, but as scalable assets for merchandise, social media content, and event activations. By making them portable across touchpoints, the Submerge IPAs became an experience, not just another can on the shelf.
04. Visual Identity
Retro with a Modern Bite
The Submerge labels and campaign channel a bold ’70s aesthetic with chunky bubble typography, sunburst backdrops, surreal fruit illustrations, and photography featuring retro styled floaties and scuba masks. The trippy cartoon style hits the sweet spot—psychedelic and offbeat, yet polished enough to stay sophisticated. By weaving in SweetWater’s signature “trippy river” element, I kept cohesion across the product family while pushing the brand into a more playful, character-driven future. The result: a standout identity that disrupted the market and elevated SweetWater’s portfolio.
04. Visual Identity
Retro with a Modern Bite
The Submerge labels and campaign channel a bold ’70s aesthetic with chunky bubble typography, sunburst backdrops, surreal fruit illustrations, and photography featuring retro styled floaties and scuba masks. The trippy cartoon style hits the sweet spot—psychedelic and offbeat, yet polished enough to stay sophisticated. By weaving in SweetWater’s signature “trippy river” element, I kept cohesion across the product family while pushing the brand into a more playful, character-driven future. The result: a standout identity that disrupted the market and elevated SweetWater’s portfolio.
04. Visual Identity
Retro with a Modern Bite
The Submerge labels and campaign channel a bold ’70s aesthetic with chunky bubble typography, sunburst backdrops, surreal fruit illustrations, and photography featuring retro styled floaties and scuba masks. The trippy cartoon style hits the sweet spot—psychedelic and offbeat, yet polished enough to stay sophisticated. By weaving in SweetWater’s signature “trippy river” element, I kept cohesion across the product family while pushing the brand into a more playful, character-driven future. The result: a standout identity that disrupted the market and elevated SweetWater’s portfolio.
04. Visual Identity
Retro with a Modern Bite
The Submerge labels and campaign channel a bold ’70s aesthetic with chunky bubble typography, sunburst backdrops, surreal fruit illustrations, and photography featuring retro styled floaties and scuba masks. The trippy cartoon style hits the sweet spot—psychedelic and offbeat, yet polished enough to stay sophisticated. By weaving in SweetWater’s signature “trippy river” element, I kept cohesion across the product family while pushing the brand into a more playful, character-driven future. The result: a standout identity that disrupted the market and elevated SweetWater’s portfolio.
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