Downeast
Downeast Cider wanted to expand into new markets. They came to us feeling that they’d outgrown their quaint, New England identity and it was time to broaden their appeal to reach a bigger audience. We had the opportunity to help them rebrand at a critical juncture and position them for success in an increasingly crowded field. We relaunched Downeast with an integrated identity system that spanned from packaging to retail, social and even experiential, all with a confident and in-your-face tone of voice that embraced their key differentiator “UNFILTERED.”
Mechanica Downeast Team:
Ted Jendrysik, Jim Amadeo, Pete Whitten, Fernando Pino, Nick Carmer
Hand-painted artwork
We needed a visual style that embraced “UNFILTERED” and also gave Downeast a wider appeal. We settled on a water motif and I hand-painted the waves to capture the energy of the brand as well as reference the care that goes into making craft cider.
Super
Flexible
The system needed to be able to accommodate an ever-expanding product lineup with seasonal blends and limited releases. And for a company like Downeast, the product packaging is the biggest touchpoint for the brand.
Tapped-In
(gotta love a pun : )
Worked with Taphandles.com to create an all-new custom tap handle. Employed an experimental new technique to flow color into wet resin and replicate our wave pattern in a dynamic way that makes each tap handle unique. Included a pinch card section which allowed the handle to align to range of flavors & seasonal releases. Paid close attention to way-finding best practices to ensure the handle reads easily from across the bar.
Point of Sale:
Point of Purchase:
(Product Display concept for Total Wine & More)
Social Videos:
POP/OOH Posters:
Experience
Downeast provided a great contact with the brand on premises with their tap room. But we had the opportunity to help bring the Downeast experience to a wider audience out in the world. Through pop-up shops and a one-of-a-kind outdoor beer garden at Dewey Square with food trucks, corn hole and live music, which was so successful that the city of Boston extended the contract for multiple seasons.
