Design agency SB Studio has worked with many top international clients recently, including Sony Playstation, Diadora and RIBA (not to mention their most prestigious collaboration to date — none other than We Heart) but in terms of downright rewarding experiences, The Liverpool Craft Beer Co is probably top of the list. The collaboration started as a branding assignment, and to mark the two firm’s successful partnership the brewery boys invited SB Studio to brew their own beer. This was an opportunity not to be missed, and as is often the case where alcohol is concerned, things escalated.
As well as carefully designing the taste of their beer with Liverpool Craft’s expert flavoursmith Terry, SB Studio got to thinking about the label for their bottles. These ever-present mini-canvases on an especially desirable product seemed a perfect medium to explore, and before long they had decided to invite a crate-load of creative friends and colleagues to get involved. First, members of the public were asked to submit name ideas via a website, with a stipulation that the name must begin with the letters SB. Suggestions poured in ranging from the dive bar-ish Shotgun Blues to the deadly exotic Sang Bière. A shortlist of 100 was drawn up from the 1,000 entries received, which were then passed on to pro artists and illustrators to bring to life. The results have now been collated into a book, The 100/100 Beer Project, with all sale profits going to The Art Fund.