Anti-Bodies
As the much-anticipated exhibition Hope to Nope opens in London, we spoke to curators Lucienne Roberts of GraphicDesign& and the Design Museum's Margaret Cubbage about the graphic design exhibition that everyone's talking about.
Polytechnic and Aaron Skipper take a refreshingly uncluttered approach to craft beer branding with their identity for Norfolk-based brewers Malt Coast, creating custom type and calling upon the illustrative skills of Alicia Galer to provide beautiful and evocative imagery...
The North Norfolk coast might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of Britain's great beer brewing tradition, but perhaps it should be—the area produces some of the world's finest malting barley, a key ingredient in what is arguably the nation's (and perhaps the world's) favourite tipple. Malt Coast, a new craft brewing venture based just outside of Wells-next-the-Sea, seeks to celebrate the area's proudest export and place North Norfolk firmly on the map for craft beer connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike. Founders Bruin and Max Maufe recently called upon the talents of design studio Polytechnic to create a brand identity and set of label designs for Malt Coast, and the elegant results take a brave but successful step away from the hectic aesthetic of many existing craft beer brands.
Creating the identity for a beer brand had been on Polytechnic's studio bucket list for some time, according to founder Arthur Carey, and the commission from Malt Coast was serendipitous—both he and collaborator Aaron Skipper, who Carey brought on board to work on the project, grew up just outside Wells-next-the-Sea, close to the Maufe family's Branthill Farm. The family have worked the farm for generations, malting their Maris Otter barley at a traditional floor maltings down the road in Great Ryburgh, where Skipper's great grandfather happened to have worked as Master Maltster for much of his working life. "It was great that both Arthur and Aaron, despite living and working in London, understood Norfolk," Bruin Maufe explains. "That was important because we wanted the product reflect the place. There are many fantastic craft breweries based in London that go for in bright colours and very bold branding as a means of standing out. We felt our story was something that needed to come though—beers with provenance."
A previous Maufe family venture involved selling malted barley biscuits at local markets—the hand-drawn type on these family aprons were something Carey and Skipper picked up on during the research process.
Bespoke typography for the logo and product names
Malt Coast bottle labels
Malt Coast business cards
Malt Coast business cards
The celebration of locality was key to the development of the brand and consequentially to the design itself, as Carey explains: "We noted that the world of wine is one of regions and this emphasis on provenance had not yet been championed in the beer market. Max and Bruin’s setup offered the opportunity to establish a region, not merely a product—Malt Coast would be able to be owned by the brand. To celebrate this different starting point, we pushed for a more considered and calm approach to the identity."
Photography of the brewery and the identity in use, by Spencer Wilton
Photography of the brewery and the identity in use, by Spencer Wilton
Photography of the brewery and the identity in use, by Spencer Wilton
Right now, Carey and his team are working on the designs for the brewery's next new beer, an Amber Ale, for which Galer is creating another of her atmospheric illustrations. Malt Coast's Pale Ale and IPA are now available in delis and cafes along the North Norfolk coast, and the founders are looking forward to expanding their distribution into London and beyond. "We're delighted with the end result," Maufe tells us. "We feel it reflects our brand—helping to emphasise the provenance of our product. Beautiful beers from a beautiful place."
maltcoast.com
polytechnic.works
aaronskipper.co.uk
aliciagaler.com
victoriasiddle.com
spencerwiltonphotography.com
Galer's in-progress scamps for the next beer in the Malt Coast range, Amber Ale
Photography of the brewery and the identity in use, by Spencer Wilton
Photography of the brewery and the identity in use, by Spencer Wilton
Photography of the brewery and the identity in use, by Spencer Wilton
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