Hawkes Rebrand

Design: Robot Food
Project Type: Produced
Client: Hawkes
Location: UK
Packaging Contents: Cider
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Can, glass bottle

Strategic design agency, Robot Food, rebrands Hawkes, following BrewDog’s acquisition of the brand

Robot Food was appointed by Hawkes to tap into the mindset of the craft drinker and put cider on the craft agenda. The agency aimed to parallel the craft beer category by rejecting cider’s typical ‘farm grown’ cues and build on Hawkes’ existing assets.

Chris Shuttleworth, senior designer at Robot Food said: “By bringing ‘Eddie’ the skull to the forefront of the design, Robot Food created a recognisable beacon to find on shelf and at the bar. The naming strategy for ‘Dead & Berried’ and ‘Doom & Bloom,’ amplifies brand attitude with an urban edge, incorporating flavour notes, while the name ‘Urban Orchard’ was retained as a nod to the brand’s history. We wanted to shape a brand that reflected the mission of the guys behind it. The result is iconic, recognisable and brand proud, a design that carves a new path for craft.”

An illustration style was developed, rooted in counterculture to tie the range together. The addition of colour adds depth to each product, meaning the illustrations pop against the black back drop of each design.

BrewDog purchased Hawkes after seeing the chance to scale up the distribution and production of a brand with shared values to its own. Both brands challenge the mass market, monopolised drinks category and BrewDog identified a huge opportunity to grow this ethos within the cider segment.

The project was part of a broader strategic review and refresh of BrewDog’s portfolio, including the redesign of their core range multipacks and the core packaging designs for their new flagship sour beer facility – Overworks.

Find the entire Hawkes range in taprooms, bars and supermarkets now.