Johnnie Fox's Pub Reinvents Its Brand Mark for a Premier Whiskey Collaboration
Client
Goal
To revise and refine Johnnie Fox’s Pub brand mark to better align with the pub’s vision and enhance its appeal, ensuring a cohesive and compelling presentation for an upcoming collaboration with a premium Irish Whiskey distillery.
Situation
Johnnie Fox’s Pub recently launched a new website and brand mark but found that the outcome did not fully meet their expectations. Due to time constraints, the brand mark did not resonate as intended with the pub’s storied history and unique identity.
Opportunity
The upcoming collaboration with the Irish distillery presents a prime opportunity to revisit and refine the brand mark. By aligning the brand more closely with Johnnie Fox’s heritage and vision, the revised mark can strengthen the partnership’s presentation, creating a more unified and impactful brand experience for both the pub and the whiskey brand.
Duration
4 Weeks
Overview/Summery
Role & Responsibilities
Lead Designer
Finished Artist
Outputs
Deliver new visual mark
Design Irish whiskey bottle label
Design Irish whiskey outer packaging
Ideas for merchandise
Delivered library of assets
Tools I Used
Mac
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Blender 3D
Keynote
Task
Phase 1 – Discovery
Kick-off Workshop
I held a meeting with the key stakeholders to address concerns they had with their previous brand marks. We identified key elements to avoid and explored new ideas. This collaborative approach ensured a brand mark that resonated with their vision and for the new Irish Whiskey collaboration.
Preserving Tradition: Infusing New Design with Johnnie Fox’s Legacy
I explored elements from their existing brand that they wanted to retain. Recognising the pub's fame and 3 handmade letters ‘J, F & X’, I aimed to incorporate this essence into the new design, preserving the legacy while refreshing the look and feel.
Phase 2 – Research & Define
Defining Character: Capturing the Essence of Johnnie Fox’s Pub
I quizzed the client about the personality of the Fox, which helped me determine the appropriate pose for development. This provided a clear vision of how the pub wanted to be perceived by customers, ensuring the new brand mark resonated with their identity.
Finding the Perfect Illustration Style
I researched various illustration styles to identify what worked best and what did not. This allowed me to show the client viable options and ultimately source an illustrator in Australia who could deliver the desired style.
Avoiding Pitfalls: Learning from Past Design Challenges
I inquired about previous design issues at Johnnie Fox’s Pub to understand what to avoid. I learned they had problems with curved text when producing glasses and noted this to ensure the new design would not encounter similar issues.
Phase 3 – Ideation & Design
Perfecting the Fox Pose
I researched and presented a range of fox poses to find the best representation for Johnnie Fox's Pub, ultimately gaining client buy-in and approval for the chosen pose.
Rooting the Brand in Local Heritage
By illustrating the Great Sugar Loaf mountains behind the fox, the design was grounded in a specific geographic location. This approach reinforced the unique selling point of Johnnie Fox's Pub as "The Highest Pub in Ireland," tying the brand closely to its iconic setting.
Visualizing the Brand's Future Through Merchandise
By showcasing the proposed brand mark on sample merchandise, I enabled the client to visualize the design in real-world applications. This approach helped solidify their decision and boosted their confidence in the brand's potential.
New lettering
New fox and mountains
All versions of the new visual mark
Phase 4 – Delivery
Building Brand Consistency: A Comprehensive Suite of Assets
Created a suite of brand assets and guidelines to ensure consistent usage across all platforms, allowing the client to maintain a unified brand presence by hosting these resources on their website's media page.