New beer design is all white for Le Tour
A York design agency has helped one of its clients mark the visit to the city of the Tour de France by creating iconic branding for a unique beer developed specially to celebrate the occasion.
Treboom Brewery’s latest tipple, Maillot Blanc, has been given a striking look by United by Design, inspired by 1930s railway and Olympic Games posters, and reflecting the history and heritage of the world’s greatest cycle race. The limited edition brew is a tribute to the holder of the Tour’s white jersey, awarded to the best-placed rider under the age of 26.
The owners of Treboom Brewery, John Lewis and Jane Blackman, wanted to pay homage to the traditional ‘saison’ style beers originally made in Belgian and French farmhouses. John says “This refreshing beer needed a look befitting a great spectacle. We had a once in a lifetime opportunity for our beer to be noticed and enjoyed, and the team at United by Design has really risen to the challenge to create a standout image.”
United by Design has created a bottle label and pump clips for Maillot Blanc, as well as a limited edition art screen print that is already much in demand from fans of both cycling and beer! This is just the latest in a range of product identities the agency has created for Treboom, and it has recently been presented with an award by SIBA, the Society for Independent Brewers, for its work on Treboom’s Baron Saturday ale.
Owen Turner, owner and creative director of United by Design, says “We have been working closely with the owners of the brewery to create very distinct and memorable brand packaging. Each label and clip that we have developed for Treboom focuses on a unique story behind the name of the individual ales. The Maillot Blanc brew is no exception, and deserved to be a standout design that pays tribute to a world-class event. The forms, lines and colours are stripped back to maximise the impact on the bar and shelf, and this elegant simplicity has been personified in the A2 screen printed poster. It’s been an extremely enjoyable project of which the United by Design studio is incredibly proud.”
Maillot Blanc has already proved incredibly popular. As well as cask ale, it is also available as a limited edition of hand-numbered 750ml Champagne-style bottles with corks and wire cages across the Yorkshire region in selected retail outlets and via a number of online stores. The Maillot Blanc beer and limited edition posters by United by Design will be available to view and enjoy at the Cyclism exhibition being held at Gallery Munro House in Leeds until 31st July.
United by Design is building something of a reputation for its branding skills in the food and drink industry, having previously created eye-catching branding for companies such as SLOEmotion’s distinctive Sloemotion No.7, Lu Lin’s Tea Cubed and Choc Affair’s extensive chocolate range. It has also just begun to work with new York-based real ale microbrewery Ainsty Ales.
On a wider front, the agency has also recently won contracts from larger clients such as the West Yorkshire Probation Trust, HYCO Manufacturing, MetroCo soft toy manufacturers, Asda stores and global professional services firm KPMG.
