I've been one of the principal art directors for new product development at Lagunitas since 2015, taking Lagunitas brewers' world-class creations and packaging them up for refrigerators around the country, the world (and beyond?)!
Mozango
Vibe: Mozango sounds tropicalian, but it also sounds like a mysterious name, a call to action, or exclamation, so I wanted to lean into it, big and bold. With its mysteriosity, I looked to old Film Noir posters and Russian Cold War propaganda for inspiration. I also wanted to visually fade between a hop and a mango to elucidate the special ingredients in this beer.
Design: The incredible Jordan Wilson & Danny Rothschild
Label text: In the spirit of the propaganda-esque visuals, I hoped to speak a bit to the behind-the-scenes service-members of the craft beer industry on the label, tying it into the growth of a mango...
Secret Agenda
Vibe: To confound the special relationship between the two industry friends, we liked the idea of twisting a tale of a secret intention behind the beer other than the simple act of collaborating. With that, we wanted to bring in symbols and arrangement of old monastic orders to reinforce this hidden meaning, as well as incorporate some of Moonlight Brewing's visual elements (clouds & fonts).
Design: The incomparable Jordan Wilson & Danny Rothschild
Cherry Jane
Vibe: When directing this design, I kept imagining Cherry Jane as a character in a Shel Silverstein short story, so I focused in on the retro, nostalgic design elements from the 60s and 70s (as seen on the design on the left), as well as further back to Art Deco for a more classic look (like the design on the right)
Design: In-house by the unfuckwithable Danny Rothschild
Label text: With Shel Silverstein in mind, I dove in...
Hazy Memory
Vibe: Many of the Lagunitas designs come naturally from the name, and Hazy Memory is no exception. I wanted to see a trip-in-a-can, a 70s-black-light-poster-ish design, while still standing out, being readable, and looking like a Lagunitas beer. With further intentions to make more hazy offerings, these elements would serve as the structure for Lagunitas hazy beers to come.
Design: Intro by the inimitable Jordan Wilson, Outro by the outstanding Danny Rothschild
NightPils
Vibe: NightPils is an example of a working title becoming the front-runner name, mostly because it was the best way to describe the beer in theory and in reality. When the name was solidified, it allowed me to play within Lagunitas' house of design and mess around with existing brands in a way that I don't normally get to, which was a rewarding challenge.
Design: In-house by Danny Rothschild
Label text: NightPils copy was very conceptual, as I had to keep the visual element of the torn paper consistent in the story. There was quite a bit of Frankenstein-ing between the two stories to get it to loosely work, but this is where it ended up...
Stoopid Wit
Design: My first solo label, finishing touches by Danny Rothschild
Label text: Keeping consistent with the name, I wanted to unwrap as many adages and aphorisms I could think of and tie them back together as best or worst as I could, resulting in one of the most challenging and entertaining copy projects I've worked on to date...
Phase Change
Vibe: The name 'Phase Change' came from an innocent moment during dinner preparation in which I was trying to hurry a watched boiling pot, but it applied perfectly to an as-of-then unnamed beer utilizing a proprietary Seasonally Unexpected wet-hopping process. With the scientific slant, there was a natural tie-in to music (specifically 70s phaser pedals) that brought this label to fruition.
Design: Another Jordan Wilson / Danny Rothschild joint