Crafting a Bold Brand Identity for GooD
Overview
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many charities faced unprecedented challenges. In the spirit of community and collaboration, Hoop-la partnered with Gargoyle Creative to help My Lovely Horse Rescue raise vital funds with the creation of D8 Beers - a limited edition Winter Ale celebrating Dublin 8’s rich brewing and distilling heritage, industries historically driven by draught horses. Over eight weeks we designed, brewed, packaged, launched, and sold out the ale on a zero budget amid lockdown restrictions.
CHALLENGE
The challenge was to establish a distinctive and memorable brand for D8 Beers in a highly competitive craft beer market, while telling a strong community story and supporting a charity under the constraints of the pandemic. The campaign aimed to generate excitement, raise funds, and broaden awareness of My Lovely Horse Rescue.
SCOPE
We managed the full scope including:
• Brand strategy, positioning, and naming
• Verbal identity and content development
• Graphic design, packaging, and illustration
• Digital and social media asset creation
• Motion and 3D animation
• Photography and online shop design
• Brand experience including graphic environments, signage, and event management
• Video and augmented reality production
• Project, budget, and print management
• Brand strategy, positioning, and naming
• Verbal identity and content development
• Graphic design, packaging, and illustration
• Digital and social media asset creation
• Motion and 3D animation
• Photography and online shop design
• Brand experience including graphic environments, signage, and event management
• Video and augmented reality production
• Project, budget, and print management
Approach
We combined market research and drinks industry expertise with input from the charity’s representatives, generating design and digital concepts that perfectly aligned with the charities values and community expectations. Our combined resourcefulness allowed creativity to thrive despite pandemic constraints
Art Direction
A bold pink palette was chosen to provoke reaction, featuring a solid D8 logotype framing a historic map of Dublin 8 - reflecting the area’s industrial heyday. The copy was imbued with a distinctly Dublinese charm - direct and playful.
SOLUTION
The campaign combined standout design with compelling storytelling. We launched on BLACK FRIDAY, renaming it PINK FRIDAY. Followed by a teaser social media campaign portraying city streets invaded by virtual beer cans, supported by an Augmented Reality feature that allowed the community to place virtual cans throughout the city, increasing engagement.
Pre-sales were conducted via the D8 Beers website, with beer distributed through The Thomas House Bar, enabling contactless collection under strict COVID safety regulations. Coverage in national press and radio extended the campaign’s reach well beyond the local community.
The campaign culminated with a live Facebook broadcast from Camden Studios featuring Cathy Davey (co-founder of My Lovely Horse Rescue) and Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy), who, alongside a supergroup of friends, raised further funds through our festive fireside sing-song.
Results
The campaign was a great success, with all beer selling out, significant funds raised, and national and international awareness boosted for My Lovely Horse Rescue. It reached new audiences and increased support for the charity at a crucial time.
Awards
The D8 Beers project was selected for the 100 Archive.
The 100 Archive is an annual curated collection that highlights the best of Irish communication design. Each year, 100 notable projects are selected based on their impact, innovation, and differentiation in the field of design and visual communications. The archive charts the past, present, and future of Irish design by showcasing projects across various disciplines such as branding, packaging, digital, print, and advertising. It provides a snapshot of the creative excellence in Ireland at a given time and serves as a resource to celebrate and learn from notable design achievements.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
It was great working with Hoop-la & Gargoyle Creative on the amazing D8 Beers project and fundraiser. We were so grateful to the guys for coming up with the concept and taking full lead. They made sure everything went to plan, My Lovely Horse Rescue didn’t have to worry about organising anything.
From design right through to the product, advertising and sales, they took care of everything, D8 was a great success. We loved the experience and would without a doubt work with the guys again. Thank you for being so professional and so lovely. Appreciate all your hard work.
Martina Kenny - co founder - MY LOVELY HORSE ANIMAL RESCUE.
If you have a similar project or want to explore how bold design and strategic creativity can elevate your brand and cause, please contact Hoop-la. We bring ideas to life with impact and integrity.
Let's talk!
