CCAD students work on project for BrewDog

CCAD Advanced Branding students on a tour of BrewDog.

Students at Columbus College of Art & Design recently worked on a project for BrewDog, the Scottish craft beer company that opened its North American location in Columbus, Ohio, in 2017.

In the fall 2017 semester, 27 seniors in CCAD’s Advertising & Graphic Design program worked to come up with ways to differentiate the well-regarded craft brewer in grocery stores, bottle shops, and bars with promotional, environmental, and experiential ideas.

The students researched BrewDog and competitors and conducted interviews with craft beer fans. Then, they came up with a number of recommendations, including a social media campaign, unique tap handles, interactive store events, and festivals that would encourage customers to join the fight against corporate beer.

“For many of our students, this was a dream project,” said Associate Professor Matthew Mohr. “BrewDog’s punk ethos is a perfect pairing with our students’ creativity.”

Student Morgan Bentley-Roberts (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2018) agreed.

“Having BrewDog as a live client during the end of the semester was rewarding,” Bentley-Roberts said. “This course allowed me to apply advanced research mechanisms with intuitive creativity to produce professional-level work and gain experience before graduating.”

BrewDog said the company loved working with CCAD students.

“At BrewDog, we bleed craft beer like no one else! Innovation, passion and creativity are at our very core,” said Emma Sears, BrewDog Merchandise Manager – USA. “The CCAD students ran away with these values and applied these to their concepts. It was awesome to see how the students interpreted a new and unfamiliar brand; each team nailed BrewDog’s brand voice and message through comprehensive and detailed research.”

Plus, the concepts from the project aren’t expected to stay in the classroom.

“There were several really stand-out concepts, both blue sky ideas and totally achievable products that related back to our manifesto — to make other people as passionate about craft beer as we are,” Sears said. “We’re hoping to see a couple of these plans put into work for 2018 and collaborate directly with the student involved to see their initial idea all the way to fruition.”

Learn more about CCAD’s Advertising & Graphic Design program.