Project Summary
Client
Stone Brewing
Contribution
Lead Designer
Illustrator
Description
An award-winning imperial brown ale with intense caramel and toffee notes that represents the evolution of Stone's legacy from first batch to gold medal.
Scope
16oz Can Label
On-Premise Print Deliverables Digital Signage
Social Assets
Platform
Procreate
Adobe Fresco
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign
Lifeblurred
The Process
Market Research
Researched top craft beer brands to find what works and what doesn't. Used these insights to create a unique position that would stand out on crowded shelves and connect with the right customers.
Concept Development
Created unique design concepts for the digitally printed 16oz can labels with colors that matched the beer's bold personality.
Built multiple options and clear presentations to help teams make smart decisions quickly.
Stakeholder Alignment
Presented concepts to creative teams first, then pitched to executives, brewers, and sales staff. Refined designs based on feedback to ensure the final product would work for both brand goals and business needs.
Execution & Production
Handled all regulatory approval with TTB and prepared files for smooth production. Delivered a complete brand toolkit including mockups, store displays, social content, and brand guidelines for consistent use across all channels.
Final Design
Based on Stone Lifeblurred's award-winning legacy and psychedelic concept, stakeholders gravitated toward a design that boldly embraced altered perception and surreal imagery. The final concept's vibrant elements—a three-irised eye integrated into the Gargoyle, warm gradient backgrounds, and floating cosmic details—perfectly captured the beer's theme of blurred reality while celebrating its Gold Trophy from the 2024 US Open Beer Championship. This vision-focused direction created a distinctive presence that honors both the beer's evolution from Kris Ketcham's first batch and its astronomically intense caramel and toffee profile.
Concept Dev.
Option 01
This concept draws inspiration from the idea of movement through space and how it can alter a person's reality, incorporating surreal and sensory elements. Featured ideas include a warm brown, pink and yellow color palette that emphasizes the beer's tasting notes of caramel, burnt sugar, toffee and chocolate, a three-irised eyeball that adds surrealism while connecting to the concept of blurred vision, and strategic green accents that highlight the hop ingredients.
Option 02
This concept draws inspiration from cosmic psychedelia and surreal dreamscapes, incorporating vibrant otherworldly and fantastical elements. Featured ideas include a rich purple and teal color palette that creates an ethereal, space-like atmosphere, the iconic Stone Gargoyle emerging from swirling cosmic clouds and mystical vapors, scattered starbursts and celestial details that enhance the otherworldly feel, and flowing organic shapes that suggest movement through alternate dimensions or dream states.
