- Southwold brewery announces packaging refresh across core kegs, casks, bottles and cans, with new designs rolling out from 2nd April
- Two new brews will also join the newly designed Adnams line-up
Southwold brewery Adnams is rolling out a full redesign of its core beer range, across both the off and on-trade.
Established in 1872, Adnams celebrated its 150th birthday in 2022, which presented an opportunity to clearly define its vision for the future.
The range of renowned coastal brews has been reimagined by Adnams and Brighton-based design studio CookChick with local artist Vanessa Sorboen, to reflect the brand’s Suffolk home. Drawing inspiration from its coastal shorelines, and expansive horizons, the redesign illustrates the rich history in this pocket of England’s East coast.
Each beer has its own unique painting, illustrating the beer’s origins and expressing its unique story. From looking out to the North Sea or inland, the range’s new designs capture a true 360 view of Adnams’ proud East Anglian heritage.
Fergus Fitzgerald, Head of Production at Adnams said: “There are two main aims of the redesign. Firstly, it allows us to bring all our beers back under one unified look. Beers like Mosaic and Dry Hopped have been two of our core beers for a while and whilst having a different look made sense in the early days, bringing them together again reflects the fact that our brewers use the same great quality ingredients and the same skill and dedication when brewing a beer, regardless of whether the recipe comes from 1872 or from 2024. Secondly, the new branding really brings out that sense of place and connection to where these beers are made. The paintings tell the stories and showcase the beauty of the landscapes that inspired those beers. I hope that this reminds existing Adnams drinkers why they first fell in love with that beer, and that those who don’t know us so well see something in the waters to inspire that first sip.”
Kegs, casks, bottles and cans of Adnams’ Ghost Ship 0.5% Pale Ale, Ghost Ship 4.5% Pale Ale, Mosaic Pale Ale, Dry Hopped Lager, Southwold Bitter, and Broadside will all showcase the new, bespoke designs.
Investment in cask was key to this project, providing an opportunity to draw consumers into the cask category. Adnams has a strong history of investing in cask and was one of the first breweries to feature moulded pump clips in pubs, so it was important that the redesign encompassed a new and innovative offering for the on trade.
Max Bond, Sales Director at Adnams said: ‘Cask beer is our national drink and has a key role to play in all great pubs. Adnams’ new innovative pump clip designs will create excellent stand out in pubs and will attract new drinkers to take a fresh interest in the cask category and taste beer at its best.”
Ghost Ship 0.5% Pale Ale, the UK’s best-selling low and no ale in the on-trade, launched in December 2023 in the new design, with a slimline can format joining the range in response to the growing consumer demand for low alcohol options in ready-to-drink formats[1].
Broadside and Ghost Ship 4.5% Pale Ale bottles will be the first to launch from 2nd April, with the rest of the range to follow throughout April and early May.
Two new brews will also launch on April 4th as part of the refresh: Big Skies, a Double Dry-Hopped IPA, and Deep Seas, a Belgian-style Blonde, both available in 12 x 440ml can packs from Adnams.co.uk.
Jess Turner, Head of Brand and Creative at Adnams said: “If you looked at our beers on the shelf, it was starting to feel like a timeline of Adnams’ design. There was the need for some stronger brand recognition to help customers shop across the range and explore other Adnams beers. The project aimed to unify our range and bring them closer together – so they felt part of a clear Adnams family. There is a real sense of customer ownership across our beers, so it was important that we recognised that and maintained their individuality. These are fabulous beers with strong stories and we’re really proud of them.”
David Hucknell, Senior Designer at CookChick said: “CookChick has been working with Adnams for 18 years, applying a bold and innovative approach to the beer category. Over the last year we have been given the opportunity to refresh and unify the core beer portfolio as a holistic range, providing greater stand out in the competitive beer marketplace. With the Suffolk coast still serving as the centre point and heart of the brand, we have widened the lens to encompass a 360-degree view of the area, giving us a broader palette to draw from and setting Adnams apart from other breweries championing their coastal roots. Working with Vanessa has allowed us to capture the very intrinsic qualities of Adnams’ hometown – Southwold – and the surrounding Suffolk and Norfolk area, whilst enhancing the individual brand stories and beer characteristics. Welcome to bold new horizons from Adnams!”
The portfolio refresh is the culmination of a wider strategy to reinforce Adnams’ premium positioning in the category, reflecting the familiarity and quality of the brand while providing standout appeal for consumers, both in retail and in hospitality venues. The emotive use of Vanessa Sorboen’s painting style adds a depth of storytelling and a crafted quality. This approach has clear links back to Adnams and Chris Wormell’s ‘Beer from the Coast’ days, weaving a familiarity into a fundamental design change to the packaging.
Vanessa Sorboen, Local Artist said: “It was a fascinating experience working on the Adnams range. Jess and the team at CookChick were fantastic at guiding me through what they wanted me to paint and where the features needed to be placed, to work alongside all the other elements that would appear on the final product. It all had to fall in a specific area. As someone who paints freely, to have to think of the components within the composition and consider perspective and how the scene wraps around the canvas, which in this case, is the beer can, bottle or pump clip – was an intriguing challenge. Their guidance was invaluable because they knew exactly what they wanted, and yet really wanted me to put my twist on it. With each beer brief there was something to get my head around. Every time we’d have a meeting where they’d show me the concept, I’d want to leave straight away so I could get stuck in. Every painting I’ve stepped back from I’ve felt proud of, and I truly enjoyed the process.”
Broadside and Ghost Ship 4.5% Pale Ale bottles will be available from Adnams.co.uk from 2nd April as well as in all major supermarkets, with the rest of the range to follow throughout April and May in the on-trade and retail.
ENDS
About Adnams
Founded by George and Ernest Adnams in 1872, Adnams began as a Southwold brewery on the Suffolk coast and has been fiercely independent for the last 150 years. In 2010, Adnams became the first brewery in England to build a distillery on the same site. Its pioneering spirit has enabled Adnams to become a distinctive brewer, distiller, wine merchant, retailer, publican, and hotelier. From its Southwold home, Adnams crafts award-winning premium beers and spirits which are available from its retail stores, managed properties, partner pubs, and in outlets nationwide and overseas. Adnams has long taken pride in its heritage and strong values and is committed to running its business sustainably, leaving its footprints in the sand, not on the planet.
[1] Source: CGA on-trade data to w/e 08.10.22. As seen in Morning Advertiser, The Drinks List – top brands to stock in 2023.
Contact: Connie Kissock, connie.kissock@thisisphipps.
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