Established in 1872, Adnams celebrated its 150th birthday in 2022, which presented an opportunity to clearly define its vision for the future.
The range of renowned coastal brews has been reimagined, to reflect the brand’s Suffolk home. Drawing inspiration from its coastal shorelines, and expansive horizons, the redesign illustrates the rich history and natural inspiration that can be found in this pocket of England’s East coast.
An original painting has been created for each beer, illustrating its origins and expressing its own unique story. Looking both out to sea and inland, the range’s new designs capture a true 360° view of Adnams’ proud East Anglian heritage.
Fergus Fitzgerald, head of production at Adnams, explained the project’s aims: “The redesign has enabled us to give all Adnams beer brands one unified look.
“Beers like Mosaic Pale Ale and Dry Hopped have been part of our core range for a while. Their different design aesthetic made sense their early days; but aligning them more closely with the rest of the range reflects the fact that our brewers use the same quality ingredients and the same skill and dedication when brewing all of our beers, regardless of whether the recipe comes from 1872 or from 2024.
Sense of place and connection
“The new branding also brings out that sense of place and connection to where they are made. The paintings tell each beer’s story and highlight the beauty of the landscapes that inspired them. I hope this reminds existing Adnams drinkers why they first fell in love with that beer, and that those who don’t know us so well see something to inspire that first sip.”
Cask, keg, bottles and cans of Adnams’ Ghost Ship 0.5% Pale Ale, Ghost Ship 4.5% Pale Ale, Mosaic Pale Ale, Dry Hopped Lager, Southwold Bitter, and Broadside will all showcase the new designs.
Investment in cask was also key to the project and innovative, curved cask clips will provide an opportunity to attract consumers to the category, something championed by Max Bond, sales director at Adnams.
With a strong history of investing in cask, Adnams was one of the first breweries to feature moulded pump clips in pubs, so it was important that the redesign encompassed a new and inventive offering for the on-trade.
“Cask beer is our national drink and has a key role to play in all great pubs. Adnams’ new curved pump clip designs will create excellent stand out in pubs and will attract new drinkers to take a fresh interest in the cask category and taste beer at its best,” he said.
Growing demand
Ghost Ship 0.5% Pale Ale, the UK’s best-selling low and no ale in the on-trade, launched in December 2023 in the new design, with a slimline can format joining the range in response to the growing demand for low-alcohol options in ready-to-drink formats.
Refreshed Ghost Ship 4.5% Pale Ale and Broadside bottles landed at launch, with the rest of the packaged range arriving through April. Pump clips, keg taps and badges will be seen on bars from May. The release of the first new beers in the new-look creative quickly followed the launch. Big Skies, a Double Dry-Hopped IPA, and Deep Seas, a Belgian-style Blonde, are both offered in 440ml cans.
Mindful of each beer’s individual story, Jess Turner, head of brand and creative at Adnams has worked with Adnams’ design agency and local artist, Vanessa Sorboen, to unify the range: “If you looked at our beers on the shelf, it was starting to feel like a timeline of Adnams’ design.
“There was the need for some stronger brand recognition to help customers shop across the range and explore other Adnams beers. The project aimed to unify our range and bring them closer together - so they felt part of a clear Adnams family. There is a real sense of customer ownership across our beers, so it was important that we recognised and maintained their individuality.”
The emotive use of Vanessa Sorboen’s painting style adds a depth of storytelling to the range: “It was a fascinating experience working on the Adnams range. The team guided me through what they wanted me to paint and where the features needed to be placed, to work alongside all the other elements that would appear on the final products.
“As someone who paints freely, it was an intriguing challenge to have to think of all the components within the composition and how the scene might appear on a beer can, bottle or pump clip. With each beer brief there was something new to get my head around, while also putting my own twist on it. Every painting I've stepped back from I’ve felt proud of, and I truly enjoyed the process,” she said.
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