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Creative Strategy, Design, Copywriting

Brand and campaign development for Bell’s Brewery, No Yeah® Golden Ale (2021).

Project ask was for a “lifestyle” Golden Ale that resonated with consumers in the Midwest (regional launch). The need for a Golden Ale rose from a white spot in the Bell’s portfolio rather than high market demand, thus the need for a brand with high engagement was important to drive purchase.

No, Yeah® leans into the cultural fuel and popularity of poking fun at Midwest sayings, and the experiences (good, bad and neutral) shared while living in the Midwest.

A brand with a familiar voice built on shared experiences, No Yeah® became #3 in the Midwest within its launch year.

Demand drove distribution into 5 new states in 2022, and No Yeah® brought home a silver medal during the Great American Beer Fest’s awards ceremony in 2021.

Contributors: Fritz Klug, Steven Aldrich, Sarah Bauman

All imagery copyright of Bell’s Brewery/New Belgium Brewing.

Creative Strategy, Design

Strategy included presenting a case for this beer to be one of the first-in-market as a Low Calorie IPA, versus entering into a saturated market as a Session IPA. Brand became #4 ranked product in Bell’s portfolio within the first year of launch.

Building off the equity of Bell’s Two Hearted® IPA, Light Hearted® Ale was developed to be a “cousin” of the flagship brand in taste and style. The brand offers a low calorie IPA option for easy-drinking occasions.

Nodding to the legacy of the Two Hearted® brand, Light Hearted® embodies retro nostalgia and invites consumers to take the brew on their adventures.

Our organic social campaign was used to convey the brand’s lifestyle element, utilizing fan pics to help position the beer as an anytime drinker.

Collaborators: Alex Smith and Fritz Klug

All imagery copyright of Bell’s Brewery/New Belgium Brewing.

Creative Strategy, Design, Photography, Copywriting

A sample of creative developed for Kalamazoo Valley’s “Worth It” Campaign.

Primary Message: Kalamazoo Valley is Worth It.

We conveyed this message through personal stories from students, alumni, faculty and employers by asking them to answer the question “Why is Kalamazoo Valley worth it to you?”

Working with departments across the College to execute the campaign, we created specific and personalized messaging to all targeted student groups at every lifecycle.

Tactics: paid media, tv ads, sms, streaming radio, email campaigns, direct mail, landing pages, on campus promo/events and social.

Art Direction, Design

Developed a unique identity for Bronson Healthy Living Campus (BHLC) that fit within the Kalamazoo Valley brand umbrella. Decor was created for the internal spaces (lobby and stairway walls, backlit counter and dining space). Coinciding promotional materials, learning materials, digital ads, and a WordPress site were developed.

*All images and copyright belong to Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kalamazoo, MI.

New brand, rebrand, and label design developed for Bell’s Brewery® and Upper Hand® Brewery.

Photography by Fritz Klug and Steven Aldrich.

All imagery copyright of Bell’s Brewery, Inc. and Upper Hand Brewery

Illustrations done for various clients.

“Sour Girl” and “Fighting Flamingos” imagery and copyright belongs to Bell’s Brewery, Galesburg, MI.

Campaign photography for Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s “Worth it” campaign. Studio photography was used for primary campaign images, while lifestyle photography was used for promotional college materials. Dramatic contrast black and white photos were used in consistency with Valley’s brand identity.

*All images and copyright belong to Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kalamazoo, MI.

I few years ago I did a photography series called Food Not Food where I used common household items to create food look-alike dishes. It was just a random exercise to stretch my creativity that took on a life of its own. Having never been able to cook (I burn everything), I’ve always appreciated food as a form of art.