Dear Deschutes

Seconded. I'm guessing a lot of coin went into focus groups and such to lead them to this packaging, so it's someone's baby.

 

Old vs. new for reference:

Old

New


I don't have particularly strong feelings about the label change, but in general I like it. The old ones were good and the new ones are also good. I think they both do a good job of being simple, wholesome and incorporating nature (a lot like Sierra Nevada).

 

This is one of the few label changes a brewery has done that I've actually liked to be honest. Nothing wrong with the old ones by any means, but I think the new ones look good - helps that they kept the same images.

 

Can't say I'm a fan of the new designs either. It wasn't broke. Didn't need to be fixed...

 

They actually had a good brand going. You could spot Deschutes from the other side of the store.

Now...not so much

 

Diff'rent strokes, I really like the new packaging artwork: more imagery than the previous ovals, bolder colors. Makes each beer a bit more like it's own brand, while still having enough common elements that you can tell they're all Deschutes beers next to each other. Didn't have anything against the old designs and didn't feel a re-brand was needed, but I don't mind the change. It's a small dumb thing, but I think the mountains on Black Butte and Obsidian look more formidable and striking than their previous incarnations.

Since Sunriver doesn't distribute very far it doesn't make much difference, but Deschutes changing from an oval logo to circular makes the two similar enough that I'm sure some private conversation must have happened to prevent legal action from either side.

 

I'm a fan of the new packaging. To be honest, I didn't like what it replaced when they made THAT change - was that about 8-10 years ago? I'm a fan of the bold colors and sharp edges. 100% agree with @sharpski about the mountains on the Black Butte and Obsidian labels, and since those are my two favorites that's probably why I'm even more in favor of the new changes.

 

I like 'em. Bolder design. I can't say I really care either way though.

 

I think the new Deschutes labels are fine, but I have to agree with you regarding Silver City. Wow, those are just ugly. Just saw the new label for Old Scrooge and it's awful compared to the previous label.

 

Kind like the new labels, don't really care much about labelling at the end of the day, but I know it's important to the marketing of their beers.

 

I don't much care, more interested in what's inside the bottle. But I do miss those bottles embossed (right term?) with hop vines or whatever the hell it was. That was pretty classy.

 

New ones would be okay if they didn't use DIFFERENT FONTS for each beer. That is just bad branding.

Old labels were great and were basically modern classics since they'd been using them for so long. Sticking with a solid and consistent visual identity is something that not many breweries seem to do these days and I think it's mostly to their detriment.

 

The new ones just remind of the whole Web 2.0 design philosophy. They don't feel right.

 

THey are OK..just.
I am a big fan of simplicity in beer labels.
Like Lagunitas..in your face style.
10 Barrel too ( even though i wont buy their stuff).
My favorite labels of all time were the old Full Sail ones with the simple stylized sail.

 

Must be the same company that did the Great Lakes label refresh.

 

Cant say I am a fan of either...both are boring and lifeless

 

I disagree with the "bad branding" claim. The labels are modular, and certain elements are always in the same place (Deschutes up top, then the artwork, then the name of the beer). Since the name of the beer always appears under the artwork, setting the brand name in different colors and fonts is useful for brand differentiation. In this way, Obsidian Stout gets a different personality than Mirror Pond or Chainbreaker, yet it is clear that all the labels are part of the same set.

Again, I must disagree. They hadn't been using them that long. Deschutes has changed their packaging 3 times in the past 9 years. Here's a composite of Mirror Pond bottles I put together:


I think the best thing that the new labels do is that it makes the name "Deschutes" much more prominent. I think that's important for a brand of their size, and one that wants to expand.