The Otago Brew School is a full time brewery course run by Otago Polytechnic / TePukenga from their Bannockburn, Central Otago / Comwell Campus. The by-product of teaching brewers is they make a lot of beer – in various styles. So they created a retail arm and Gas were tasked with naming, branding and package design. The can design is based on the location in Bannockburn, near Lake Dunstan – an environment surrounded by mountains and dramatic skies. The site is not only a brewery, it is the future of brewing in Aotearoa, by offering hands-on learning to help craft the next generation of brewers. We’ll drink to that.
Wanaka-based the Gleam Team came to Gas Project for a brand new identity. The logo is based on the two owners, and the ladder reflects the nature of their business – Wanaka has some large houses with equally impressively-scaled windows. We also designed their van livery – the swirls are roughly based on the movements of a squeegee. The van is also as clean as their windows – it’s fully electric. Go Team!
Throwback Friday. A recent trip through Queenstown reminded me that Love Chicken does one of our favourite burgers. Which is just as well, because we designed the identity for the owner, Darren Love, as well as the mural inside. Love Chicken has been open a little while now and has established itself as THE place to get your chicken fix in the Central Lakes. They use organic Bostock Brothers chicken, and their sauces and salads are all made in-house. Another reason to cross the road…
We’ve done a heap of identities for baristas, but not too many for barristers. This is a freshly minted logo and letterpress cards (by Magpie Press) for Sebastian Bisley, Barrister. The client’s love for brutalist architecture (heavy card stock and fonts) and high end mountain bikes (a bar – get it?) was the starting point for this non-traditional law identity.
Al Brown and some of his winemaking friends joined forces to launch Tipping Point, a wine brand that not only supports charities close to Brown’s heart but also celebrate the regions. Constellation Wines approached us to help brand and label the new series. It’s always a pleasure working with Al, and being able to colab on a wine label was almost a dream brief. Parts of the design process, and most of the winemaking process was documented on video, here. Now available in supermarkets and wine stores, sales have exceeded expectations – always a good result. The wine tastes pretty good too.
The Tora Collective sustainably catch wild kaimoana from the nutrient-rich waters of Tora, on the beautiful and rugged South Wairarapa Coast. They then pack fresh (again, sustainably) and ship to restaurants and homes, straight from the ocean. We helped create a brand for this amazing company, having first met them on a photo assignment for an Al Brown cookbook. Salt water flows in their veins.
Since moving to Central Otago (now two years and counting), we’ve found an environment of extraordinary beauty, rich histories and grounded people. It’s not everyone’s cup of milky tea – the weather can be brutal (we’re acclimatising), the supplies short (“that’ll take a couple o’ weeks to come in on the stage”) and the food expensive, but we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else (written as the country is in a level 4 Covid lockdown).
Part of the move here was try to work with the locals, which sometimes means working as a favour. In small communities like this, you really need to pitch in to get things done. So we were more than happy to help with a small identity for Heritage Central Otago.
Marlborough is brilliant wine growing country – it’s surrounding mountains mean westerly clouds are parted to imbue the region with more sunshine hours than almost anywhere else in Aotearoa. That parting of clouds inspired the name of Tiraki, a small winey created by a new generation of an old farming family. Gas Project were tasked with creation of a brand identity and label that had one foot in the tradition of wine, and one firmly in the new world, with sensitivities around environment and tangata whenua, while also being a little adventurous. Inspired by myth, the work of artist Euan McLeod and comic books, Reuben Smith worked up the illustration while we focussed on the brand and typography (and a little wine research). Sometime we love our jobs.
Oamaru was without a cinema for two years before new owners took the challenge on to restore the old space and upgrade it with state of the art seating, sound system and projection equipment. We were tasked with developing an identity that would be distinctive and carry some Art Deco vibes to tie in with the interior. The idea of an owl seemed appropriate – it sits in the dark but sees everything. We had a hoot working on this one.
Good Joe is a coffee blend developed by High Noon coffee and Al Brown for pouring in all of Al’s hospitality offerings, like Best Ugly Bagels, The Federal Deli and Depot. Joe ain’t fancy, but Joe is a great, honest drop. Head online to buy direct (we’re currently working on website updates), as well as developing the identity and packaging, alongside the very talented Hayley Brown from NY Art Dept. Good-o.
