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Ruckus Brewing Company
Brand Identity, Visual Design, Package Design & Website, UX/UI Design
Ruckus Brewing Co. originally started as a client of Ruckus under the name Legacy Brewing. After two years of working together, Legacy’s owners decided to exit the craft beer industry. Seizing the opportunity, Ruckus acquired the brand’s beer recipes and licensing rights for all seven beers, including Hedonism, Midnight Wit, Euphoria, FatBoy, Nor’ Easter, Brown Aled Girl, and their most renowned brew, Hoptimus Prime. Additionally, Ruckus acquired Reading Premium Beer, a historic brand over 125 years old that was once one of the top five beers in the country during its peak in the 1960s.
Client:
Ruckus Brewing Company
Year:
2008-2019
Role:
Creative Director
Package Designer
Visual Designer
Brand Identity
Website, UX/UI Designer
Agency:
Ruckus
My Role
I led all visual, branding, and package design efforts to establish and elevate a family of craft beers initially owned by Legacy Brewing, a former client. My work focused on creating a strong brand identity, ensuring that the beers gained industry recognition and consumer awareness..
The Challenge
Legacy Brewing had a solid lineup of great-tasting beers with catchy names, but the brand struggled with poor recognition in the craft beer industry. Their marketing and branding efforts were ineffective, leading to minimal awareness. Additionally, some of their packaging choices, such as the artwork for Hedonism Ale, were considered too provocative for retailers, limiting its reach. The original Hedonism packaging had been covered with brown parchment paper taped to the side panels of the boxes, but a curious buyer in a liquor store tore it off, revealing the controversial artwork underneath. This garnered attention from news and media, initially giving Hedonism and Legacy some recognition in the craft beer world, but it wasn’t enough to boost overall sales.
Another challenge was Legacy’s beer named Hoptimus Prime. It had an excellent name and taste but was only brewed for one bar in Reading, PA, with no plans for mass production. As a result, Hoptimus had no branding, label, or image—nothing to help it stand out.
The Solution
Along with my team at Ruckus, I conducted an in-depth walkthrough of the brewery, engaging with the owners to understand their story and vision. We identified an opportunity to create a unique and cohesive branding strategy centered around the idea of revealing hidden artwork beneath a torn-paper design, inspired by the controversy surrounding Hedonism Ale’s original packaging that had made headlines.
For the broader branding effort, I developed new label designs for the core lineup of beers, including Midnight Wit, FatBoy Lager, Brown Aled Girl, and Nor’ Easter Ale. However, I saw immense potential in Hoptimus Prime and, with my boss’s approval, dedicated extra time to designing a label and character for it. Over the course of weeks, I refined the artwork, bringing the concept to life with detailed illustrations and vibrant colors. We then planned a dramatic reveal of the Hoptimus Prime design during our pitch presentation.
The Results & Accomplishments
Our presentation to Legacy Brewing was a success. The owners were enthusiastic about the new branding and packaging for their core beers, but the highlight was the unveiling of Hoptimus Prime. Initially met with silence, the owners quickly erupted with excitement, declaring it their future flagship beer and deciding to move forward with full-scale production.
Hoptimus Prime went on to become Legacy Brewing’s best-selling beer, generating over $1 million in sales within its first year.
It won multiple craft beer awards and received industry recognition not only for its exceptional taste and complex hoppy palate but also for its standout label design.
The branding gained national attention, with features in Beer Advocate and online publications.
I was interviewed for the feature in Beer Advocate and other online outlets, highlighting the creative process behind the design.
Buzzfeed ranked Hoptimus Prime as the #1 craft beer label for several years.
In total, the branding work won over five awards for various beers, including:
Hoptimus Prime
Nor’ Easter Ale
Midnight Wit
FatBoy Lager
Ruckus eventually acquired Legacy’s beers in a mutually beneficial deal, transforming the brand into Ruckus Brewing. I continued working on the brand for 11 years until the recipes were shelved in 2019. The brewery’s visual identity, branding, and packaging remain some of the proudest achievements of my career.
