Hard Way Cider

After three years in business, it was time for Hard Way Cider Co. to take their product to larger markets. Before they could do that, they needed to strengthen their brand narrative and positioning to provide clear direction moving forward. They also wanted to build a new visual identity in order to establish a strong and cohesive system that would be highly recognizable and persist in the mind of customers.

One of their biggest challenges with their previous identity was their packaging. The labels were busy, difficult to read, and were not easily identifiable.

We redefined their brand narrative shifting the meaning behind “Hard Way” from “a difficult process” to “an uncompromising spirit” combined with the hard edge the cider gets from aging in liquor and wine barrels. Working closely with Hard Way, we focused on three primary characteristics that set their cider apart from other ciders. In order of most common to most unique, they are: dry, fresh-pressed, and barrel-aged.

We created a new visual identity system that was cohesive yet flexible for a wide variety of application. We also established a new and refined colour palette, strong and bold typography, retail collateral, product naming convention, and new systematic packaging with eye-catching illustrations.

Hard Way Cider Co. is a small-batch cidery that makes dry ciders with unique character and flavour profiles that come from aging their cider in liquor and wine barrels. Their vision is for people to choose their cider because it is adventurous and to keep coming back because of the unique flavour profile and tasting notes.

Services

Strategy // Positioning // Visual Identity // Packaging // Design