Brand challenge

EFES has enjoyed a majority beer market share in Turkey since 1969. However, due to increasing pressure from international competitors and an ageing consumer base, sales had started waning.

To mitigate this trend, EFES realised a need to refresh its identity and packaging and, for the first time, support this with bespoke glassware and a counter-top fount.

When approaching the challenge, it would be important to create a distinctive and recognisable ‘structural signature’ and set of design principles that could be applied to other structural EFES brand assets in the future.

Turkey is a dark market for alcohol brands, so the glassware and fount would play a vital role in brand recall, and the new EFES glassware range (a steiner, chalice and tankard) should be so desirable that consumers would want to pinch them from bars and take them home.

In market research

Before attempting to solve the challenge, we ran a workshop with our client team in Istanbul to understand their expectations and establish criteria on which our solutions would be assessed.

Also, and in spite of our virtual model, there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction at the beginning of a project for building relationships and opening channels of communication.

Structural design is a delicate balance of creative thinking and engineering know-how, so we also visited Turkey’s leading glass manufacturer to understand their capabilities, learn any new processes, and agree on a technical brief.

Armed with a thorough understanding of Turkish beer-drinking culture, the EFES brand, and latest manufacturing opportunities, we then returned to the UK ready and excited to deliver.

Concept creation

Exploiting our virtual agency model, and speaking to our ethos of providing harmonised solutions, we created a custom team of product and graphic designers to work collaboratively during the ideation phase.

Taking the distinctive ‘badge’ asset proposed for the new graphic identity, we transformed this into a versatile three-dimensional form that could be applied across all three glass profiles to create a strong visual ‘structural signature’, while also providing an ergonomic grip.

To add an interactive and memorable element, we then proposed evolving the badge profile into a deep-moulded base, so that the glass could leave a footprint of the brand in sand or water. At this stage we didn’t know if it was possible to achieve, but it did excite all stakeholders.

Concepts were shared and discussed collaboratively via Zoom with our marketing and production partners, and a shortlist of concepts was agreed for further development.

Design development

To further explore and evaluate the form and ergonomics of our ‘badge and footprint’ idea, we transformed our drawings into three-dimensional concepts using a combination of CAD, high-quality visualisation, and traditional modelling techniques.

Over the course of several iterative stages, we exchanged data and engineering drawings with our technical manufacturing partners and key marketing stakeholders. In so doing, every detail of the design was defined and refined to meet the design intent and also be commercially viable to produce.

Although our solution was both innovative and challenging, fully engaged marketing and manufacturing teams meant all obstacles were collaboratively overcome, and an inspiring and definitive set of data was handed over for production.

Serefe! (“Cheers”)

Rolled out across Turkey, EFES now has a distinctive range of glassware that supports and reflects its new ‘badge’ graphic identity, launched in 2017.

The structural signature offers both tactile and ergonomic benefits, and by exploiting the beer’s amber colour, projects a distinctive visual equity. Screen printed in a combination of white and frosted finishes enables the brand to play a central role, but without dominating the overall appearance.

Each glass features a deep EFES emboss in its base, designed to make an imprint that reminds the drinker of the brand. It’s also highly visible inside the beer glass when finishing the last drops, acting as a prompt to order another round!

All glassware integrates aesthetically and functionally into our EFES fount, creating an illuminated central focus and unique piece of bar theatre.