Old German Beer and its lovable, century-old mascot, Herman, have become a true grass-roots anomaly in recent years. With little marketing effort, the easy-drinking brew built a cult following from Western PA to Maryland to Portland, Oregon. Still, we couldn’t help wonder what heights Herman and his beer could reach with a little glow-up.
What if Herman broke out of his iconic “pointing” pose every now and then? What if he suddenly felt more like a living, dynamic character, rather than a stagnant logomark? And what if its logotype was newly reimagined by an expert lettering artist, rather than a battered result of decades of live-tracing and outside vendors? We’re about to find out.
Old World Script
First we set our sights on refreshing the wordmark. The culmination of the brand’s history led to a custom script that’s full of distinctive character and just enough intentional imperfection to keep the charm alive.
Strike a pose
Herman’s still Herman, and he will continue to be for as long as we have a say in the matter. But now, as a living, dynamic character, he’s right at home in any composition and ready for any season or big event.
Packaging
With the primary brand assets refined, our last step was to expand the brand language to the package. We leveraged a refined version of the brand’s historic primary color palette, Herman’s new set of poses, and designed an entirely new suite of packing.
Dancing Machine
A brand as off-kilter as Old German wouldn't have been done justice by a regular website. So instead we created a browser-based, retro video game where you can dance the night away and win prizes in the process.
Merch to Top It Off
No brand is complete without a merch package, and Old German was no different. We built a suite from t-shirts to trucker hats to a few sticker pack editions.
#findherman
For the first time in decades, Old German was showcased on a series of billboards. To take it beyond simple brand awareness, we challenged people ’round the ‘Burgh to locate the billboards — which change spots every so often — and snap a selfie with them to win free swag.
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