EL MATEO LOCO
illustration, hand-lettering, package design
Every year, Scuttlebutt Brewing Co. works with the Seattle Central Creative Academy to create custom labels for a special edition brew. This year celebrates one of Scuttlebutt’s employees, Matt, who requested that they make Mateo Loco, a hoppy Imperial Red Ale.
While this never made it into production, it was a great exercise in packaging and shelf marketing, as I learned both the limitations of working with a label and the challenge of standing out among a flood of choices for beer.
Process
Scuttlebutt limited the size, shape, and number of colors used on the label. With these limitations, I knew a successful design solution would rely on strong imagery and typography. To better understand what would help set this bottle apart from other small batch beers, I studied the hierarchies, typography, and visual style of similar beers a local bottle shop.
Amid a wide array of busy labels with no clear focus, I determined that a label with bold, hand-touched graphics and clear hierarchy would stand out on the shelf. I chose black, yellow, and red to indicate the brew’s intensity (it is a strong 8.5% ABV) and for their high contrast. I created the hand lettering and illustration through a combination of Photoshop brushes and effects.