Work

A new spin on IPA packaging

Golden Road was born in Los Angeles and we wanted to give its new IPA series a look that celebrated its SoCal roots — and separated it from the myriad macho competitors in the craft space.

A single Golden Road beer can sits on a sandy beach against the rocks. The can is light pink with a charming illustration showing a green vintage van, surfboards leaning against it, and a cute dog chasing a ball in the foreground. The beer name is Ride On 10 Hop Hazy IPA, which is seen in playful pink script and dark green block letters.

Two Golden Road beer cans sit in a beautiful forest bed of moss and pine needles. The cans are light green with a charming illustration of a vintage green van parked on the shore of a lake in the forest, camping. A cute dog is seen coming out of its own small “pup-tent” in the foreground, carrying a stick. The beer name is Ride On Pale Ale, which is seen in playful kelly green script and dark green block letters.

A Golden Road beer can lays in a pool of water. The can is greenish yellow with an illustration of a vintage green van parked next to a pool. The van has vintage speakers attached to its radio. A dog sits next to the van, implausibly wearing sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt. The beer name

A hand holds a can of Golden Road beer against an out-of-focus background of Venice Beach. The can is light blue with an illustration of a vintage green van parked in front of a skate park with palm trees and a city skyline in the background. A dog leaps from the van toward a dark green skateboard. The beer name

So we imagined a surf van, a canine companion and quintessential California days up and down the coast. We then enlisted illustrator KidMarkie to bring that vision to vivid life. We steered clear of blacks and silvers and heavy metal iconography, instead shifting to a pastel palette more reflective of the brand’s easy-going golden state of mind. A script font offers a casual introduction rather than the standard shouting type of typical IPAs.

One last consideration was scalability. The brand wanted to be able to add new beers to the series over time. So our look is created to have the flexibility to imagine new scenes while maintaining enough consistent elements and coloration to keep a cohesive brand feel.