Crooked takes the Gold for innovative designs
Crooked Beverage Co, the UK’s first alcoholic craft soda has started the new year with a bang as they have been awarded the gold medal for Design & Packaging at the Drinks International Pre-Mixed Drinks Challenge 2018.
The Crooked Beverage Co is distributed by Chesterfield based business Global Brands with the ‘Crooked’ symbolism being a nod towards the towns iconic Crooked Spire.
An internationally acclaimed event, this year drew entries from across the globe, including Europe and the USA. The eighth edition of the competition saw fewer medals awarded from the same number of entrants, only four golds were awarded within the entire competition, with Crooked Beverage Co receiving one of these accolades.
The three Crooked flavours each convey their own story and feature specific, surreal character illustrations on the can to bring the brand to life. The branding encourages consumers to enter the #CrookedReality of these “worlds” and capture imaginations. The aim of brief set to Lisa O’Hara, local illustrator, was to encapsulate these narratives into imagery to print onto the can and packaging.
When describing her favourite illustration Lisa O’Hara details “Mother Moon; Peach and Pomegranate was the most interesting to illustrate. I tried to draw Mother Moon as mystical witchy being, with a range of potential back-stories. I could get lost in details like drawing her worshippers and in the idea of her controlling the sky and the sea. She’d definitely be the boss of the Crooked world”.
Sharing names with lyrics from Sheffield artists, the brand is heavily influenced by music which is explained by designer Lisa as paramount in the initial creation:-
“The musical theme attached to each flavour was an important part of getting to know the character’s personalities. I struggle to draw without listening to music so this method allowed me to immerse myself quite quickly. I have sketchbooks full of little weirdo characters that I can struggle to contextualise, so being responsible for interpreting both a character and their environment was really enjoyable, and the catalyst I needed”.
The design and packaging round is judged by a panel of experts and industry specialists. Comments from the judges included:-
“The alcoholic soda brand impressed the judging panel with the artistic and unusual designs which cover its 33cl can”. Despite the fewer medals the quality within the category is certainly there”.
Lisa O’ Hara comments:-
“Crooked struck gold! I’m so made up. It’s a testament to how well the brief and the ideas were put together. I am beyond proud and grateful that; a little-known Sheffield based illustrator, has been instrumental to a product that is so highly regarded.”
Charlie Leaver, Innovation Manager at Crooked Beverage Co, added:-
“A lot of creativity and deep thinking has gone into the entire Crooked brand. We wanted to create a product that was different, that the consumer can resonate with and get lost in. For us to be receiving this kind of recognition internationally is a celebration of just how much top quality work has gone into the brand from the entire team”.
