FREDERICK, MD – Flying Dog is rolling out new packaging designs in 2012 to better reflect Gonzo artist Ralph Steadman’s original work for the brewery.
“Our goal was simplification,” Creative Director Adam McGinnis said. “Ralph’s work is insanely chaotic yet intricately detailed. Distracting from that would be an injustice.”
The redesign includes labels, 6-pack carriers, and new crown caps. Beginning with the iconographic Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale, which is where the brewery’s winged logo originated, the new designs will hit shelves this year.
“We stand for the relentless expression of our art,” VP of Marketing Ben Savage said. “Whether it’s through the art on our labels or the artisanal craft beer within, we will continually choose the path of expression.”
McGinnis began by thoroughly examining the original art created for Flying Dog by Steadman. Overall, he chose to use less saturated colors, which allows the art to shine through and preserves more of the textured elements in Steadman’s original works.
Material was also paramount in the redesign, as McGinnis chose a matte finish stock for the labels, over the existing glossy finish, to give it more of a watercolor paper feel. Steadman uses watercolor paper for his original works for Flying Dog.
“I began with the labels because it’s a smaller surface area and more detailed from a regulatory standpoint,” McGinnis said. “From there, I moved onto the 6-pack carriers and let Ralph’s art run wild on the bigger space.”
During this redesign, which took about 9 months, McGinnis also decided that the brewery needed new crown caps to better complement the packaging. The new caps are gunmetal gray with black lettering and black with silver lettering.
“Our old caps were bright blue and purple, which was a fun pop of color, but it totally detracted from the art,” McGinnis said. “The new caps allow yours eyes to focus on what’s really important.”
About Flying Dog Brewery:
“Good Beer, No Shit.” Located in Frederick, MD, Flying Dog is Maryland’s largest brewery. As their tagline proclaims, Flying Dog is committed to producing world-class craft beer and continues to push the envelope with experimental and limited-edition releases. Recent accolades include Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale ranked as the #1 American Pale Ale in the U.S. by The New York Times and Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA named one of the best new beers in 2010 by multiple sources. For more information, please visit www.flyingdogbrewery.com.