National Beer Wholesalers Association:

THE BRIEF

NBWA represents America’s 3,000 independent beer and beverage distributors. They sought a fresh brand and website to reflect the innovative direction of the industry while remaining rooted in its rich past. As the beverage industry evolves and innovates, NBWA prioritized a new website design to simplify navigation, promote diversity of distributors, and prioritize how the content was displayed.

THE PROCESS

We began the rebrand process with a robust discovery phase. After interviewing NBWA members, staff and industry leaders, we identified three key ideas to guide the design and development process — timeless, fun, and forward-focused. These principles became the foundation for the design.

NBWA’s new logo represents its support for beverages of all kinds and the limitless potential of the industry. It consists of a wordmark and an iconic, flexible beverage icon integrated into the typography design. From Americana bands of red and blue, to rich warm tones that feel like a wheatfield before the harvest, we created two color palettes that set NBWA apart from homogeneous industry colors.

The primary font is inspired by U.S. road signage, and the secondary font is inspired by a crisp, spiked seltzer. To accompany the brand, we created unique image treatments to emulate the beer and beverage experience. Our design team employed effervescent textures that mimic bubbles and photos half-filled with color, like a fresh pour in a glass. The new logo is also flexible and playful to adapt to celebratory holidays and events.

NJI poured the newly-created brand into the website, applying colors, typography, and textures to provide a consistent and engaging user experience. We also developed an integrated platform to serve as a one-stop-shop for distributor members. The single sign-on backend experience seamlessly integrates membership management, payments, and customized documents and resources, creating a unique experience for every member. The platform also allows members to see their events with a personalized calendar and communicate with other distributors via a discussion forum.

THE OUTCOME

The NBWA new brand and website offers a holistic place for everyone — members, staff, and the public to learn about the industry.

The website is easy to update, allowing NBWA staff to add content themselves. It also showcases the diversity of distributors, featuring women, minorities, and people of all ages. It captures the direction the industry is going while respecting NBWA’s rich past. Together, the new brand and website serve up a flexible design for an ever-changing, dynamic industry.