When the Little Big Brew Co. team first contacted Potting Shed we were delighted to hear from them (not least because our old mate Gareth Chandler - formerly of Winslow Brewery - was heading up the brewing). We began with nothing but the brewery name - “Little Big Brew Co.” - agreed. Knowing that there was going to be a long journey ahead of us we started with the brand story; bringing the brand narrative to life in a format that all the stakeholders could agree upon and believe in. From there we developed Style Scapes; exploring visual styles for the brand and the beers to make sure the whole team was on the same page. It became clear very quickly that we were not only aligned, but that the appetite for creating something fresh, bold and different was at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Alan, Betty & Nigel. How the hell did this come about I hear you ask. Well, the names of the beers didn’t get decided upon until after the Style Scapes project. There was a lot of discussion, names put forward, names rejected, the drawing board was revisited and then thrown out of the window. We needed something short, punchy, memorable, approachable and a name that could be rolled out into a series. And then “Nigel” appeared, sparking something in the whole team… an idea… a theme. Before we knew it we had a naming convention for the beers that was anything but conventional.
When devising a brand like this one, there is no way to separate out the parent brand from the beers themselves. The look of one will entirely influence the other and the goal here was simplicity and clarity but with personality. So what could be simpler to define the concept of little and big than... (drum roll)...one little object and one big object next to each other! Ok, it's not rocket science people but there is a certain elegance in it's simplicity.
As soon as the Little Big Brew Co. team saw Nigel in lime green with an unusual diagonal split label at the front rather than the back of the bottle it was love at first sight. Colours were confirmed, labels were created, nails were bitten, test prints were delivered, high-fives were had, artwork for font lenses and pump clips were sent, sighs of relief were breathed, and, finally… beers were clinked and cheers were cheered. So raise a glass to Little Big Brew Co., Nigel, Betty and Alan… to be found in a supermarket or a bar near you very soon.