Package Design - April 2014 - 12

A 'Hoptical' Decade
Bright, new carriers shine the spotlight on craft brew's 10th anniversary.
By Larry Jaffee

C

reating a package from
scratch for a new product
is a piece of cake, believes
designer James McCune.
But taking something
established and "making it better is the
ultimate challenge."
McCune, executive director of
agency EGC Group's Craft Beverage
Division, has designed the packaging of
more than 40 Blue Point Brewing Co.'s
craft brews since its founding by partners Mark Burford and Pete Cotter.
This includes the packaging for Blue
Point Brewing's Hoptical Illusion India
Pale Ale (IPA), which has served the
brand well for the past 10 years.

12

APRIL 2014

Willingness to put the brand and
design in other's hands is part of the reason why the IPA's branding and design is
such a success. The brew's name was
crowdsourced in 2004. As far as the
package design, McCune recalls his
marching orders from Cotter as three
simple words: "Just go wild."
McCune came up with a celestial
design adorned with a sly-grinned crescent moon, stars and yellow flowery hops.
McCune explains that legend has it that
ancient Egyptians stuffed their pillows
with fresh hops, believing the hop's aroma
brought on intense, vivid dreams.
Hoptical Illusion's 10th anniversary
makeover finds India Pale Ale abbrevi-

ated to the acronym IPA to reflect the
beer style's recent popularity, among
other refinements. "I took away the borders, redid the fractal, and brightened
the whole thing," McCune explains.
McCune left alone Hoptical Illusion's
distorted and psychedelic typography.
The logo on the original carrier was
topped by the same mysterious eye and
pyramid found on the backside of a $1
bill. The eye-in-the-pyramid motif is
repeated on the crown, which also
didn't change.
"To be honest with you, I have no
idea where [McCune's] coming from
with [the pyramid and eye]," laughs
Cotter, who was courageous enough to



Package Design - April 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Package Design - April 2014

Package Design - April 2014
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Front Panel
Snapshot
A ‘Hoptical’ Decade
Born in the U.S.A.
Labor of Love
Luxuriously Lit
Design Tech Products: Special Effects
The Brew Crew
Product Focus: Luxury Packaging Materials
Index of Advertisers
Package Design - April 2014 - Intro
Package Design - April 2014 - BB1
Package Design - April 2014 - BB2
Package Design - April 2014 - Package Design - April 2014
Package Design - April 2014 - Cover2
Package Design - April 2014 - 1
Package Design - April 2014 - Contents
Package Design - April 2014 - 3
Package Design - April 2014 - Editor’s Letter
Package Design - April 2014 - 5
Package Design - April 2014 - Front Panel
Package Design - April 2014 - 7
Package Design - April 2014 - Snapshot
Package Design - April 2014 - 9
Package Design - April 2014 - 10
Package Design - April 2014 - 11
Package Design - April 2014 - A ‘Hoptical’ Decade
Package Design - April 2014 - BI1
Package Design - April 2014 - BI2
Package Design - April 2014 - 13
Package Design - April 2014 - 14
Package Design - April 2014 - 15
Package Design - April 2014 - Born in the U.S.A.
Package Design - April 2014 - 17
Package Design - April 2014 - 18
Package Design - April 2014 - 19
Package Design - April 2014 - 20
Package Design - April 2014 - 21
Package Design - April 2014 - Labor of Love
Package Design - April 2014 - 23
Package Design - April 2014 - Luxuriously Lit
Package Design - April 2014 - 25
Package Design - April 2014 - Design Tech Products: Special Effects
Package Design - April 2014 - 27
Package Design - April 2014 - 28
Package Design - April 2014 - 29
Package Design - April 2014 - 30
Package Design - April 2014 - 31
Package Design - April 2014 - The Brew Crew
Package Design - April 2014 - 33
Package Design - April 2014 - 34
Package Design - April 2014 - Product Focus: Luxury Packaging Materials
Package Design - April 2014 - 36
Package Design - April 2014 - 37
Package Design - April 2014 - 38
Package Design - April 2014 - Index of Advertisers
Package Design - April 2014 - 40
Package Design - April 2014 - Cover3
Package Design - April 2014 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com