The Alchemist is a well-loved microbrewery from Québec, Canada that boasts a large range of 15 different beers. Already an established brand, it was time for a “makeover” which the design firm Saint-jacques Vallée Y&R decided to take on.
The main goal was to redesign the packaging without losing the “look and feel” that consumers were familiar with and was easily recognizable on the shelves. I can’t imagine a better execution than what Saint-jacques Vallée Y&R delivered. The team kept the bones of the old graphic structure and built on it. They used the same color codes and placement of the different elements on the packaging, but stepped things up by creating a new logo crest with a story behind it.
“We decided to simplify the brand name which was L’Alchimiste Microbrasserie to just Alchimiste Microbrasserie. Then we created a logotype that have what it takes to compete against major commercial beer brands on the market.”
Look closely at the circular crest, it’s a beautiful logo mark created using concepts relating to alchemy, which the brewery’s name is derived from. Beer is considered “liquid gold” and in alchemy the gold symbol is the sun. Taking an icon of the sun and combining it with the first letter of the brand name and the shape of a beer bottle creates a memorable mark, one that will be easily recognizeable in a crowded market.
“We went for maximum evolution, without seeing a total revolution.”
If you line each beer up one by one, 15 across – you will see a rainbow of color. Saint-jacques Vallée Y&R has done a fantastic job bringing the Alchimiste Microbrasserie brand up-to-date and improving the impact these beers will have in the marketplace.
