A new tide rises.

Cape May Brewing Co.

Brand design
Packaging
Merch
Digital design

Vehicle Wraps
Strategy
Illustration
TV
Brand Identity
Package Design
Apparel Design
Web Design
UX/UI Design
Animation
Web Development
Campaign

Born in 2011, making beer out of a garage twelve gallons at a time, Cape May quickly grew to be Jersey Shore’s premier craft brewery, brewing over 10,000 barrels a year in 2016 when we met. With a new maturity as leaders in the Northeast craft scene they needed their young brand to evolve and reflect their position as category leaders.

The breezy, seaside Victorian town gave ample inspiration for a colorful rebrand.

Originally they focused on locale and granted each beer a unique personality.

However, it came at the cost of a muddled packaging scheme, with poor recall and brand recognition for those unfamiliar with Cape May.

Color, pattern and illustration made each beer unique, while cohesive in a branded system.

Each beer is uniquely named so we created illustrations to support  each beer’s particular concept  while pattern and color supported  the themes in secondary ways.

With over 100 beers brewed a year  a flexible system was important  to preserve creativity while  reinforcing brand consistency.

A template for discovery

The backs of each label pack plenty of layers to discover more about the beer. Icons illustrate the type of glass the particular beer should be served in, and what food pairings best compliment it. The profile offers a flavor description and insight to each beer’s namesake.

Ryan Krill & Chris Henke

Founders of Cape May Brewing

The artistry of our beer is reflected in the artistry of the design created by Canales & Co. Not only does the new branding capture who we are as a company, but the consistent use of pattern and color will give our fans confidence that they’re getting a top-notch, quality product that they have come to expect from Cape May Brewing Co.

The new branding creates an expectation, and the beer inside exceeds that expectation. The beer speaks for itself, but we think that new fans will now be able to judge us by our packaging.

The rebrand also fueled an increase in sales velocity as well as guided the company with direction for creating new products and offerings. Over the past 6 years they’ve seen substantial growth.

444444000%
Growth increase
2016 - 2021
111000000+
Beers designed
2016 - 2021
333
New States
2016 - 2021
#111
Most popular
NJ Brewery 2021

As Cape May Brewing Co. grew, so did the breadth and variety of brand work that was needed.

Over the years, operations ramped up at Cape May Brewing Co. which allowed ample opportunity for us to scale the brand in a multitude of ways, from beer cans to billboards, and beyond.

The tasting room only “Backdoor” series started as an exercise in pattern, where each can was illustrated with a unique kaleidescopic image that spoke to flavor. After several years and many cans designed, the series underwent a facelift with a new template which focused on typography and a variety of illustration styles that pique interest with every can.

Beyond beer

The alcoholic beverage market expanded as audiences began to appreciate new and different tastes. This led to the introduction of several product lines that pushed the brand even further. The launch of Cape May Hard Seltzer was the first step into this new world, and became somewhat of a brand in and of itself. The series took on a look and feel that separated itself from the original Cape May brand, but maintained elements of design that carried the Cape May Brewing Co. spirit through it. From there, additions to the Cape May Brewing Co. family include collaboration brews with other brands, the hard lemonade and hard tea series which have a unique look of their own, among many others.