R&B

Saint Bernadine Mission Communications Inc. is a Vancouver-based agency specializing in branding, advertising, graphic design, and digital design. Saint Bernadine is the patron saint of advertising and graphic design.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: R&B Brewing is one of Vancouver’s original East Van microbreweries, predating the current trend by almost two decades. Partners Rick (“R”) and Barry (“B”) asked Saint Bernadine to help with a packaging redesign, necessitated by the move from 650mL bottles to a standard 341mL six-pack format.

The design language is inspired by R&B’s resolutely handcrafted product—as such, every element on the packaging is rendered by hand, including the bar code. Bold silhouette key illustrations take their cues from the beers’ quirky naming conventions, and strong colors aid standout and shelf blocking. Key brand story elements, hand rendered in expressive type, and additional information like IBU scale, boil information, aging temperature, hop and barley type, and mix all support R&B’s independent craft positioning.

What does hand lettering bring to your work that standard or initially hand- lettered fonts could not?

andrew samuel: Hand lettering brings an energy and personality to the content. It reflects the handcrafted nature of R&B’s product as well as their enthusiasm. The hand lettering marries the typography and the illustration, creating a cohesive unit. From a practical standpoint, hand lettering allows for maximum flexibility of content.

How much is the hand lettering closely based on direct reference to existing typefaces?

Some of the hand-drawn type is based on actual fonts, some are inspired by actual fonts and modified accordingly, and many are custom. Traditionally inspired letterforms bring an element of structure and legibility to the necessary content, while custom lettering brings an illustrative quality.

R&B Brewing’s packages have a lot of text. What challenges did you face with editing and making corrections since all of the type is hand done, including the small print?

As with any project, there were changes to content during the design process. There was no easy way to avoid the fact that we had to redraw type on a couple of occasions—a labor of love.

To what do you attribute the popularity of hand lettering on packaging?

Hand lettering brings warmth and personality to a product and its content—it removes a layer of formality. Hand lettering engages the consumer and makes the brand feel approachable and familiar. So, for the right project, it’s an invaluable option.

product: R&B
client: R&B Brewing Co.
design firm: Saint Bernadine Mission Communications Inc.
creative directors: Andrew Samuel and David Walker
art directors/designers/hand letterers: Rory O’Sullivan and Helen Eady
medium: Ink and digital
country: Canada

Every element on the final packages was created by hand, all in support of R&B’s independent craft positioning. It’s easy to see the love that went into R&B beers.

R&B Brewing calls itself “Vancouver’s local microbrewery,” and has made handcrafted ales and lagers in the heart of East Vancouver’s historic Brewery Creek since 1997.

Detailed sketches document the creation of the beer packaging. “From a practical standpoint,” says Samuel, “hand lettering allows for maximum flexibility of content.”