We’ve worked with the folks from Pilot Project for years, so when they had a vision inspired by their new Milwaukee-based production facility, we were thrilled to help them bring it to life.
Brand Strategy
Logo & Identity Design
Packaging Design
Creative Direction
Copywriting
Campaign Design
Merch Design
Content Creation
Website Design
Finally holding a can of Standard Goods Lager in our hands; this result was a long time coming.
After moving into an iconic production brewery space in Milwaukee, the Pilot Project team wanted to do something that celebrated this next chapter for them, as well as a beer style that too frequently misses the mark: the Premium Lager.
From the very beginning they knew that this would be a high quality product, brewed without sacrifice, and priced accessibly. For too long, “beer that tastes like beer” has either been riddled with unnecessary ingredients like corn syrup or rice, or line priced with IPA and thus unrealistic as a background beer. This project was about declaring that that shouldn’t be the case; high quality adjunct-free lager should be the standard.
And so, Standard Goods was born.
While we knew with great specificity what this product was going to be, we had to figure out how it would interact in the world. Its positioning and personality, before we could even consider its look and feel.
Our naming workshop honed in on the place we felt this beer would fit into peoples’ lives. Like a good work shirt or your best paring knife, stuff that works well, over and over, whenever you need.
Identifying brand DNA and keywords came from there, what words feel absolutely integral to understanding this brand – is it aspirational or humble? Gruff or soft?
Once keywords were identified we rolled into the Brand Archetype. What sort of personality most comfortably brings those attributes to life? The Standard Goods brand is a force to be reckoned with. Demanding more and refusing less.
Over the course of a month, we produced and executed multiple shoots, both in Chicago and Milwaukee, to set Standard Goods up with a vast library of content. That content was used to populate the website, online shop, and the initial social media launch.
We also provided the SG crew with a handful of disposable film cameras that they used to document everything leading up to the launch.
We took a not-so-standard approach in the branding of Standard Goods. We explored the art of old Americana signage, and pulled inspiration from the made-by-hand feel in the lettering.
This led us to explore a full-blown logo suite from the jump — a bold move, but well worth it in the end. This suite allowed us the flexibility to play with a vast range of brand pieces, from the can art, to merch, to tap handles and more. Not just a focus on Standard Goods “the beer,” but the goods beyond the beer as well.
There is nothing more satisfying than a strategically sound tagline.
“Raise Your Standard” may be one of our favorites of all time. A call to action. A literal description of how one drinks a beer. And a suggestion that we should all expect a little bit more out of the products we consume day to day.
