Longstanding partners West Berkshire Brewery came to Thirst to change the fate of their lead lager, Renegade. As the best seller from a discontinued craft range, Renegade’s liquid and loyal drinkers were strong, but its brand needed a complete repositioning to become bigger than niche craft and recruit new drinkers. Knowing lager drinkers liked to experiment within the category, but were worried about not liking what they were served, with Renegade we wanted to help people rebel against routine without any risk, so set about creating a quality, established looking brand that lived up to its name.

Brewed with an independent spirit and homegrown British hops, Renegade is a great tasting, Great British beer, so its brand needed to feel inspired by rebellious British subcultures. Cue the timeless language of the rebel: British biker culture.

Restless, rudderless, matchless, the Renegade knows only one way; their own. Like countless others before them, they wear their dissent as a badge of honour and that’s exactly what we wanted Renegade to be – a badge. Inspired by brands like Triumph and Norton, our wordmark feels like it’s forged from metal. Stamped proudly at the centre of West Berkshire Brewery’s brand shape, it wouldn’t look out of place on the side of a petrol tank or on a motorbike. The delicately detailed secondary icon brings another layer of credibility and craftsmanship to the design, heroing our ‘R’ as a flexible device for glassware and beyond. A secondary gridded pattern along with our retro cool gold and claret colour palette means the Renegade brand stands strong wherever it roams. A rebellious rebrand to create an immediate cult classic.

Deliverables for the project included; brand positioning, brand identity, packaging, retail packaging, point of sale materials, merchandising.