Client: Hurns Brewing Company Ltd
Project: Packaging Design
About The Hurns Brewing Company
Hurns Mineral Water Company was established over 100 years ago by the redoubtable Arthur A. Hurn, producing soda water, ginger beer , lemonade and cordials in distinctive bottles which are now collector's items. Their early philosophy, which still holds true today, was a simple one....' to produce discerning products for a discerning population.'
By 2002 Hurns had grown into the largest independent producer and distributor of beer in South Wales and, with the acquisition of the famed Tomos Watkin Brewery, entered a new and exciting phase of development. Now an integral part of the fabric of Swansea, Hurns owns a number of local pubs ,employs more than 100 people and is a significant investor in South Wales and its future.
Project Objectives
After buying Tomos Watkin Brewery, Hurns realised they had the potential to significantly increase their brewing capacity but this at a time when the market for traditional cask ales was in decline.
After some research the answer was obvious.......to package its own ales, thus increasing distribution potential away from just pubs and clubs and into the lucrative mainstream off-trade.
Four popular ales, Cwrw Haf, Cwrw Gaeaf, Cwrw Braf and OSB, were selected for packaging into bottles. A distinctive look and feel was required for this packaging in order to underline the Tomos Watkin brand identity and make it 'bark off the shelf' when competing with other leading brands.
Our Approach
Initially vast product sampling had to be undertaken by the 'team', in a quest to identify and establish product value !
This was combined with research into distinctive trade labels and what made them succeed within the sales environments. As a result it was recognised that the brands' pump clips could not simply be transferred onto the bottles and still stand out on the retail shelves.
The challenge for the team then was to study the individual qualities of each of the selected ales and came up with striking imagery which could also be combined with a simple template for easy transfer to all future product developments.
The Result
Four distinctive packaged ales, printed in 5 colour on 'no-label' label material which are now listed and sold in Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, the Co-op and many other leading retail outlets.
Recently these 'Ales of Wales' have also been distributed internationally and can now be found on shelves in the USA and Russia !
In terms of projected barrelage, these sales, when combined with Hurns' first packaged lager due to hit the High Streets in January 2007, mean that there will be more brewing going into the packaged product than that going into the more traditional on-trade cask ale.
Other Projects Undertaken for Hurns over the past 10 years
E-commerce Website, Product Portfolios, Advertisements, Bespoke Exhibitions, Dispay Stands, Power Point Presentations Leaflets, Billboards, Posters, Vehicle Livery, Calenders,
Pump Clips, Point of Sale, Stationery, Signage, N’Ice Branding, Taffy Apples Branding, Corporate Gifts....