Digital billboard advertising Iron City Beer with a city skyline backdrop at sunset.

Iron City Beer

  • Branding
  • Packaging
  • Launch campaign
  • Commercials
  • Social media management
  • Website design & development
  • Photography

Rebranding an Icon

A brand that needs no introduction, Iron City Beer has been Pittsburgh’s beer for over 150 years. Two bankruptcies and a tumultuous series of ownership changes later, a brand defined by innovative thinking was at risk of becoming a parody of itself.

With a redeeming new owner at the start of 2018, Top Hat was selected to resurrect the Iron icon.

Iron City Beer logo by Top Hat

Beer Drinker's Beer Script by Top Hat

Respecting the heritage.
Looking forward.

Collection of vintage Iron City Beer cans showcasing branding evolution and unique designs.

The “red eye” of Iron City is about the only thing that’s stayed (relatively) constant since 1861. The mind-boggling number of can iterations has built character but hurt brand recognition. We looked to the past to treat the new seal with the care necessary to deserve a place on Pittsburgh’s beer for the next 150 years.

Iron City Beer six-pack featuring bold branding and a classic red and white design.
Red beer bottle cap with the text Iron City Beer and the number 61 prominently displayed.
Iron City Beer cans showcasing branding and product information for a premium American lager.
Iron City Beer packaging designed for premium lager with a bold logo and vibrant colors.
Iron City Beer can featuring bold red lettering and a classic logo design.

Building the hype.

Iron City is a brand steeped in local history and more can iterations than we can even begin to unravel. The key to building towards something new was simple, iconic shots of Iron memories to remind Pittsburgh why they love it, and to clue them in to the buildup towards something new.

Collection of vintage Iron City Beer cans and memorabilia displayed on a vivid red background.

The Reveal

The new look made its first splash alongside a familiar tagline in an ad celebrating favorite artifacts and TV spots of Iron City’s past.

It originally aired during the first Steelers preseason game.

Pittsburgh was introduced to a new wordmark on a series of billboards that simply couldn’t be missed.

Billboard display advertising Iron City Beer prominently on a roadside against a scenic hillside backdrop. Digital billboard advertising Iron City Beer with a city skyline backdrop at dusk. Illuminated billboard displaying the Iron City logo against a night sky backdrop. Billboard advertising Iron City Beer with four illustrated beer cans and premium lager branding. Billboard advertising Iron City Beer with a message emphasizing local ownership in an urban setting.

In the follow-up to the initial drop, we reminded the city’s faithful that Iron City has been there for it all.

Celebrating local businesses & hard work

For the new can’s first major photoshoot, we made real, local coal miners the heroes. Because Pittsburgh was forged with Iron & Coal. Plus, that white and red just look damn cool against that shiny black coal.

Billboard advertising Iron City Beer featuring six miners holding beers against a moody sky. Billboard advertising Ron City Beer featuring miners and the brand logo in a scenic setting.
Iron City Beer can resting on a textured black surface with water droplets for a refreshing look.
Miners proudly holding Iron City Beer cans against a dark coal mine backdrop.

Raising the bar

As part of a multi-facetted presence at PPG Paints Area — including the I.C. Light Icebox bar — we transformed the most heavily-trafficked bar around into a show-stopping, high-impact, hand-illustrated work of art.

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Getting Our Hands Dirty

Iron City is shorthand for Pittsburgh – the blue collar worker of its heritage and its vibrant, creative future. We set up to capture an Iron for everyone.

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Reviving Glory

Our friends at Pittsburgh Moto Magazine began organizing one hell of a motorcyle show at historic Carrie Blast Furnace. The only thing that could make it better? “Presented by Iron City Beer.”

Vintage motorcycle illustration with branding text Pour on the Iron for Iron City Beer.
Bold logo design for Iron City Beer featuring motorcycle pistons and vintage style elements.
Vintage motorcycle show logo featuring a wrench graphic and the text Iron City Beer Glory Daze.
Vibrant graphic design of a vintage-style motorcycle helmet featuring Iron City Beer branding.

Earning Your Iron

We also worked with Mothership Moto to put hard work in the spotlight, showcasing moto enthusiasts who aren’t afraid to earn their Iron by getting their hands dirty.

Mechanic posing with a classic motorcycle inside a repair shop showcasing local branding and craftsmanship.

Spreading Holiday Cheer

Our efforts for Iron never cease. For the holidays, we’ve launched a series of special edition content including a special billboard to greet Seven Springs skiers, along with plenty of social.

Colorful holiday greeting cards featuring playful beer-themed designs and festive messages. Vintage typewriter with a greeting card featuring a beer theme and a cookie on a plate Artistic illustration of two beer bottles with a skier navigating icy slopes in a vibrant mountain scene. Nutcracker figurine opening an Iron City Beer bottle surrounded by holiday-themed beer packaging.

Pumpin' Iron

We transformed R.A.W. Fitness into Pumpin’ Iron Gym after taking a shoot with a couple of their badass trainers, making them look even badass-er.
Fitness promotional poster featuring weightlifting athletes and bold branding elements.
Promotional poster for Pumpin Iron Gym featuring athletes in workout poses and bold branding elements.
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Gym-goer showcasing fitness apparel in a cross-training environment with workout equipment in the background

The Swag

Merch is marketing, which is why we launched an entire merch arm of Top Hat for select clients in partnership with Clockwise. Our first project: building the online shop, swag, and inventory for Pittsburgh brewing.

Assorted t-shirts featuring unique Iron City Beer graphics and slogans for merchandise marketing.
Two individuals seated together holding cans of Iron City Beer, showcasing casual social interaction. Colorful assortment of branded stickers including a can of Iron City Beer on a metal surface. Woman wearing an Iron City Beer t-shirt poses confidently against a brick wall. Young woman wearing Iron City Beer shirt and sunglasses sitting on metal stairs. Woman wearing an Iron City Beer t-shirt, holding a can of beer against a plain background. Young woman sitting on pavement holding a bottle of Iron City Beer next to a six-pack. Man wearing a red Iron City Beer t-shirt and black cap while adjusting his hat. Young woman in denim jacket and cap wearing a Work Hard printed t-shirt against a simple backdrop. Athletic socks with vibrant branding for Iron City Beer showcased on a models legs.
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The Iron Throne

Man sitting confidently on a throne of stacked Iron City beer boxes with flames in the background.

We helped Pittsburgh Brewing foster a relationship with Pittsburgh Dad. His partnership with Steel City made it only natural that we would team up for a killer promo, where one lucky yinzer would win a throne of 1861 cold (room temperature) Irons.

In case you were wondering, 1861 Irons looks like this.

Array of beverage packaging displaying 96 bottles, 16 pint cans, and 1746 twelve-ounce cans. Repeating pattern of branded can designs featuring a circular logo and product information. Repeating pattern of Iron City Beer cans with a large display of branding elements on one side.
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