Great Lakes Hires Artist Darren Booth for Brand Refresh

The new logo, created by Cleveland advertising agency Brokaw Inc., is not a vast departure from its predecessor. "Est. 1988," a new addition to the logo, speaks to GLBC’s rich craft brewing history. Gold acts as a complementary color in a single wave and a hop graphic signifying GLBC’s commitment to sustainability and brewing quality, award-winning beers with only the finest ingredients. The new logo will be revealed on GLBC’s Facebook page today.

In addition to the logo, the brand will be refreshing each GLBC label. Artist Darren Booth was selected to tell the stories essential to every GLBC brew. Booth reigns from Ontario in the Great Lakes region and is known for his work creating detailed paintings with collage elements. Among other accolades, Booth is recognized by design organizations such as American Illustration, Communication Arts, and the Society of Publication Designers. Booth has created works for brands such as ESPN, Random House, Pinterest, Sony, and The New York Times. And in maybe his toughest challenge yet—Great Lakes Brewing Company.

"As an illustrator, part of my job is to help tell the story. I’m excited that every brush stroke, every piece of collage, and every layer of paint is enhanced by the rich narratives behind the GLBC beers," said Darren Booth. "I’m honored to have been chosen to reinterpret them because we share a mutual love for story, and for craft."

The search for Booth began last year, when GLBC turned to their long-time agency partner, Brokaw Inc., to find an artist that could retain the essential equity of the GLBC brand while allowing for a creative and refreshed continuation of their narrative.                                            

"The responsibility of refreshing a brand so engrained in Cleveland’s history is huge and getting it right was important to us," saidSteve McKeown, Creative Director at Brokaw. "Darren’s unique style allowed so much of GLBC’s detailed story to be told visually —with a sophisticated, contemporary, and still timeless approach. From that standpoint, selecting him was an obvious choice to us."

The refreshed look will be introduced around Memorial Day, starting with GLBC’s five year-round brands: Dortmunder Gold Lager,Eliot Ness Amber Lager, Burning River Pale Ale, Commodore Perry IPA, and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. GLBC plans to preview the new labels in February.