I
Identity System
Giving a refreshing beer a refreshing look
National Bohemian sought a design that retained the classic icon of Mr. Boh, while adding bold and bright elements to represent the fun-loving, easy-going, jester-like, nature the brand encompasses. Over the course of a few months, Mission and the Boh team narrowed countless concepts, ranging in colors, layout, and tonalities, into market-ready designs. From the revamping of Boh's classic red and gold, to Day Beer's refreshing blue and Crab Shack Shandy's mustachioed lemon mascot, the new Natty Boh designs are an ode to Baltimore's brewing history, while looking forward to the inspiring moments yet to come.
Logo
Identity
Branding
Live Pleasantly!
A staple in Baltimore since it was first brewed in 1885, Natty Boh is one of the few iconic brands that defines not only a geographical location, but a mindset. When drinking Natty Boh, the motto is simple - Live Pleasantly.
1885
First Brewed
II
Brand Voice
Rooted in unbreakable optimism with a wink and a smile.
National Bohemian leverages the spirit of an innocent jester, born to Baltimore but eager spread 'happy' across the world, in fun and unexpected ways. While being simple, yet charming, copy surrounding the voice of Boh ladders-up against the brand guardrails to ensure language consistency across all platforms, because. Consistent tone and voice is the driving force behind helping Boh deliver the messages that inspiring everyone to recognize and prioritize their inner joy, and to live a more pleasant life.
Messaging
Copywriting
Voice and Tone Guidelines
III
Packaging
Oh boy, what a can!
It's a lofty task to reimagine a local legend that nearly everyone has an emotional connection to, but the Mission team approached this project with Boh's motto in one hand and storied history in the other. Combining the two took seemingly countless conversations, more than a handful of brainstorming sessions, and even a few taste tests along the way.
Packaging
Point of Sales
Messaging
Identity Design
From the Land of Pleasant Living
Mission tactically evolved elements on the Boh packaging from the primary "pill" logo down to the smirk on Mr. Boh's face, all to reinforce National Bohemian's ethos "Live Pleasantly!". We created a versatile graphic system starting with the four can designs then moving onto bottles, secondary cartons 6, 12, and 30 packs, and in-store promotional items. The packaging stayed true to the legacy of the brand capturing the attention of long time local drinkers while remaining relevant to city transplants and new markets up and down the East Coast.
Pickin' & Sippin'
Perfect for crab picking, and slow sipping, the Crab Shack Shandy can shows a unique twist on what we know to be a lemon. From the mustache to the crab hanging off of it, this can truly represent the playful, lightheartedness that National Bohemian stands for. One of the more important elements on the Shandy can is the blue tab, which represents the partnership National Bohemian has with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. For every tab collected, National Bohemian donates .10, up to $10,000, to help fund projects that support bay restoration and youth education. So get out there and collect some tabs to help some crabs.
Day Beer
As bright as the noon sun, Day Beer encourages its drinkers to 'come play in the light.' A blue as refreshing as the sky and mustache clouds allude to the fun-loving, free-living people who drink it. The tagline 'Have Yourself a Day,' further pushes the idea that a light, crisp beer, alongside your friends, is all you need.
Orioles-Themed Can
If there are two things Baltimoreans love, it's baseball and Boh. The introduction of Mr. Boh in a baseball cap is a critical component tying the baseball field in the background, the diamond borders around the rim, and minutiae elements of the baseballs together. The tagline, "Bohing, Bohing, Gone!" only adds to the playfulness the brand brings forward in this design.
IV
Brand Campaign
Life is best lived pleasantly!
While mediums such as TV, radio, and OOO should primarily focus on brand recognition, product lines and contextualizing National Bohemian and Mr. Boh as carefree, jester-like, and charming, social copy should be used to show drinkers how to live as the aforementioned show. We don't simply say we're 'living pleasantly', we're showing you how you can, too. Language on social platforms should be teachable, yet humorous, humble, yet carefree, and feature one-of-a-kind tricks-of-the-trade to make the user's life more fun, and with a celebratory attitude. Because no matter where you are, there's room for pleasant living in your life. Once users develop the habit of using social as a 'how-to' guide for living pleasantly, this will also set us up for user-generated content, making promotions, giveaways and contests easier to run, and ultimately expanding reach organically.
Social Outreach
Marketing
Advertising
National Bohemian knows that the simplest moments bring the greatest joy, so Mission developed this campaign carrying a spoonful of sugar in preparation for the next lemon life throws our way. The idea behind this campaign is simple, you take the importance of a good joke and a hearty laugh, and couple them with the silver lining on a cloudy day. While unconventional in nature, pleasant Boh-ments are perhaps the most relatable to those who choose to live life pleasantly.
Among all these great things that have built a legacy of laughter and lightheartedness, perhaps the most telling are the quiet appreciation for the powerful potential of simple things, the transformative and rippling effects of living for fun, and the daily opportunity that we each possess to remind ourselves and others that we must always brew our own happiness.
Because ultimately, if we each choose to see the world as less heavy and more happy, We can all Live Pleasantly!