Brewdog Unveils A New Session IPA Dubbed WINGMAN With Packaging Designed By Earthling Studio

Earthling Studio recently designed the packaging for Brewdog's new IPA, WINGMAN, in response to the identified growth opportunity in the lower-ABV IPA category. Brewdog sought to disrupt the market with a bold sub-brand identity that would captivate consumers, and Earthling Studio's approach was to create a character at the heart of the beer. The chosen name, WINGMAN, evoked camaraderie and loyalty, with an eagle symbolizing strength and the free-thinking spirit of Brewdog. The packaging design carefully balanced bold visuals while infusing elements of quirkiness and old-school authenticity. The vibrant yellow palette, contrasted with the blue of the eagle, creates a compelling focal point, with the wordmark artfully drawn on a curve to frame the character, drawing inspiration from cinematic aesthetics to enhance WINGMAN's legendary status.

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Brewdog had recognised a gap in its portfolio, with lower-abv IPA’s identified as a value growth opportunity both in grocery and the on-trade. In order to challenge the category, the PUNK IPA brewer has unveiled a departure from the rest of its core range with a bold new sub-brand identity that will disrupt shoppers at the point of purchase and drive impulse sales. 

Creating a meaningful character

Brewdog approached Earthling Studio knowing they wanted a character at the heart of the new beer to help cut through a growing category. The easy drinking nature of a Session IPA makes it the perfect partner for good times with friends, the Earthling team started by exploring names that would fit with this occasion and landed on WINGMAN. A name that evoked camaraderie and loyalty. This inspired the character ideation, an Eagle was chosen as it was felt to embody the strength and free-thinking spirit of the Brewdog brand. 

Brewdog approached Earthling Studio knowing they wanted a character at the heart of the new beer to help cut through a growing category. The easy drinking nature of a Session IPA makes it the perfect partner for good times with friends, the Earthling team started by exploring names that would fit with this occasion and landed on WINGMAN. A name that evoked camaraderie and loyalty. This inspired the character ideation, an Eagle was chosen as it was felt to embody the strength and free-thinking spirit of the Brewdog brand. 

An identity with impact and depth

When it came to the identity the team at Earthling Studio wanted to ensure a balance between powerful iconic visuals that would deliver great stand out, while being underpinned with quirkiness, fun and a touch of old school authenticity. The brand palette is a vibrant yellow, contrasting with the blue of the eagle to create a strong focal point. The accompanying word mark, drawn on the curve to frame the character takes influence from cinema to further build WINGMAN’s legend. The eagle illustration itself is also packed with discovery details, from tattoos to jacket patches, even the foot of a fallen comrade, each with its own story to tell.  

 “We approached the creation of Wingman like a film studio developing it’s next release with a legendary central character at its heart. First came the sticky name, quickly followed by the characters back story and lastly the brand creation. Brewdog were keen from the offset for the mascot to take centre stage which gave us the creative freedom to develop a character with depth and authenticity, that has the potential to stretch across multiple platforms. We can’t wait for the premiere of Wingman the movie!”
Stephen McDavid, Creative Partner at Earthling Studio

Earthling partnered with the Brewdog in-house design team to sensitively extend the identity across a multitude of touchpoints including tap-handles, lenses, glassware, multiple pack formats and merchandise. A set of master animations were also commissioned to introduce the character and create a reference point for future activation.