Beer Bunker

Cyclist riding uphill on a sandy trail in a desert environment
Cyclist riding uphill on a sandy trail in a desert environment

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    Title: Creative Director

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    Skill: Graphic Design

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    Skill: Branding

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    Freelance

THE Beer Bunker. Where the hops come in hot. Turned a bottle-o into a bomb shelter with a badge worth wearing.

Tom's Cellars has been hand-picking independent beer in West Pymble since 2010, and had quietly built one of the deepest craft ranges on Sydney's Upper North Shore: more than 700 limited-release beers, held in a cellar beneath the shop floor. The problem was legibility. From the street it read as a local bottle-o, and the best thing about the place was a secret you only discovered once you were already inside. So we created the Beer Bunker.

Rear view of a cyclist riding along a gravel road with mountains in the background
Rear view of a cyclist riding along a gravel road with mountains in the background

We gave the cellar a name and an identity of its own. Drawing inspiration from the wartime spitfire fighter jet artworks, the logo landed with a bang. Beer Bunker treats the room downstairs as exactly what it is, a stockpile, with a hop-and-fuse mark, hard-edged type and a limited-release badge that flags rarity on shelf. The system runs across signage, in-store, packaging and social, with the cellar itself art-directed and shot so the density of the range carries the story.

Side view of a cyclist riding on a dirt road in warm evening light
Side view of a cyclist riding on a dirt road in warm evening light
Aerial view of a cyclist riding across sand with dust trailing behind
Aerial view of a cyclist riding across sand with dust trailing behind
Gravel bike positioned outdoors with mountains in the background
Gravel bike positioned outdoors with mountains in the background

The new branding helped the Bunker turn depth of range into the reason to make the trip, giving a suburban independent a destination brand rather than a well-kept local secret.