It’s not often you get to work on a near 300-year-old start-up, but Allsopp’s is just that. Founded in 1730, Allsopp’s grew to become one of the biggest breweries in the world over the next two centuries, with one of the most incredible brand histories one is likely ever to come across – including cameos from the likes of Napoleon and Queen Victoria. Unfortunately, the 20th century wasn’t so kind to Allsopp’s, seeing it almost disappear into the sands of time after a few overambitious business ventures.
Thankfully, Jamie Allsopp (seven times grandson of the brewery’s founder) discovered the sole surviving ledger of his family’s recipes; sought out the old trademarks; and is reviving Allsopp’s to its former glory for the beer drinkers of today.
The design strategy was simple: make a hero of the brands’ idiosyncratic original assets.
The crafted execution of this intention was anything but straightforward, with kudos to designer Alec Tear for drawing inspiration from the archives, beautifully re-crafting logos and typography, and bringing something fresh to the identity.
With new beers based on the brands’ original recipes and a company going to great lengths to be both authentic and ‘All for the Taste’ – our ambition was to create a design that was equally crafted and ‘properly done.’ Allsopp’s brew beer ‘the proper way’ and we wanted ‘proper’ design to match.
The distinctive red hand, found at the heart of Allsopp’s, was a common sign-on British inns during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. There is an old story that innkeepers displayed an open hand to indicate that their ale was in good condition and ready for sale, and this is the origin of the Allsopp’s logo, trademarked in 1876 but used by the brewery long before this.
Rebranding Allsopp’s wasn’t just about remixing the past for a contemporary audience. It was about sharing a truly remarkable story with as much tangible richness as possible: all outlandish memorabilia, historical photographs and eccentric packaging from the past welcome!
“Silas was instrumental in distilling 300 years of Allsopp’s branding into a cohesive and modern aesthetic that it instantly recognisable. The feedback from consumers has been enthusiastic. I am thrilled with the results.” Jamie Allsopp.
- Brand Strategy: Silas Amos
- Brand & packaging design: Alec Tear
- Project management: Shiran Genis
- Production management: Lisa Stillman
- Copywriting: Christopher Sharp
- Photography: David Brook
- Retouching: John Zampett
- Hand Illustration: Lloyd Stratton
- Client: Jamie Allsopp
