Southwold brewery Adnams, established in 1872, is rolling out a full redesign of its core beer range, across both the off- and on-trade.
The range of brews has been reimagined by Adnams and Brighton-based design studio CookChick, with local artist Vanessa Sorboen, to reflect the brand’s Suffolk home. Drawing inspiration from its coastal shorelines, and expansive horizons, the redesign illustrates the rich history in this pocket of England’s East coast.
“There are two main aims of the redesign,” said Fergus Fitzgerald, head of production at Adnams. “Firstly, it allows us to bring all our beers back under one unified look. Beers like Mosaic and Dry Hopped have been two of our core beers for a while, and whilst having a different look made sense in the early days, bringing them together again reflects the fact that our brewers use the same great quality ingredients and the same skill and dedication when brewing a beer, regardless of whether the recipe comes from 1872 or from 2024.
“Secondly, the new branding really brings out that sense of place and connection to where these beers are made. The paintings tell the stories and showcase the beauty of the landscapes that inspired those beers.
“I hope that this reminds existing Adnams drinkers why they first fell in love with that beer, and that those who don’t know us so well see something in the waters to inspire that first sip.”
Investment in cask was key to this project, providing an opportunity to draw consumers into the cask category. Adnams has a strong history of investing in cask and was one of the first breweries to feature moulded pumpclips in pubs. It was important that the redesign encompassed a new and innovative offering for the on-trade.
Max Bond, sales director at Adnams, said: “Cask beer is our national drink and has a key role to play in all great pubs. Adnams’ new innovative pumpclip designs will create excellent standout in pubs and will attract new drinkers to take a fresh interest in the cask category and taste beer at its best.”
Vanessa Sorboen said: “It was a fascinating experience working on the Adnams range. Jess and the team at CookChick were fantastic at guiding me through what they wanted me to paint and where the features needed to be placed, to work alongside all the other elements that would appear on the final product. It all had to fall in a specific area.
“As someone who paints freely, to have to think of the components within the composition and consider perspective and how the scene wraps around the canvas, which in this case, is the beer can, bottle or pumpclip, was an intriguing challenge. Their guidance was invaluable because they knew exactly what they wanted, and yet really wanted me to put my twist on it.
“With each beer brief there was something to get my head around. Every time we’d have a meeting where they’d show me the concept, I’d want to leave straight away so I could get stuck in. Every painting I’ve stepped back from I’ve felt proud of, and I truly enjoyed the process.”
The branding changes will take place throughout April and May.
