Adnams reveals new brand design

The range of coastal brews has been reimagined by Adnams and Brighton-based design studio CookChick with local artist Vanessa Sorboen, to reflect the brand’s Suffolk home.

Drawing inspiration from its coastal shorelines, each beer has its own unique painting, illustrating the beer’s origins and expressing its unique story. From looking out to the North Sea or inland, the range’s new designs capture a true 360 view of Adnams’ proud East Anglian heritage.

Fergus Fitzgerald, head of production at Adnams said: “There are two main aims of the redesign. Firstly, it allows us to bring all our beers back under one unified look. Beers like Mosaic and Dry Hopped have been two of our core beers for a while and whilst having a different look made sense in the early days, bringing them together again reflects the fact that our brewers use the same great quality ingredients and the same skill and dedication when brewing a beer, regardless of whether the recipe comes from 1872 or from 2024.

“Secondly, the new branding really brings out that sense of place and connection to where these beers are made. The paintings tell the stories and showcase the beauty of the landscapes that inspired those beers. I hope that 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 in the waters to inspire that first sip.”

Jess Turner, head of brand and creative at Adnams said: “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 that and maintained their individuality. These are fabulous beers with strong stories and we’re really proud of them.”

Vanessa Sorboen, local artist said: “It was a fascinating experience working on the Adnams range. Jess and the team at CookChick were fantastic at guiding 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 product.

“It all had to fall in a specific area. As someone who paints freely, to have to think of the components within the composition and consider perspective and how the scene wraps around the canvas, which in this case, is the beer can, bottle or pump clip – was an intriguing challenge. Their guidance was invaluable because they knew exactly what they wanted, and yet really wanted me to put my twist on it.

“With each beer brief there was something to get my head around. Every time we’d have a meeting where they’d show me the concept, I’d want to leave straight away so I could get stuck in. Every painting I’ve stepped back from I’ve felt proud of, and I truly enjoyed the process.”