Random Row Brewing Company

A brand refresh for Charlottesville’s community brewery.

Project Synopsis

Random Row Brewing Co. is an independent brewery and taproom in Charlottesville, Virginia. Their mission is to make high quality, locally brewed craft beer that has a positive impact on their customers and the community. The brewery opened to the public in 2016, and Random Row quickly became known for its fresh, small-batch beer and its inviting, family-friendly taproom which hosts a regular schedule of events connecting neighbors and businesses.

As they approached their third anniversary, Random Row decided it was time to share their beer with a wider audience by expanding their distribution and putting their beer on retail shelves. In preparation for launching into retail, they approached Storyware about a brand refresh.

Team

  • Wyndsor Hug
  • Todd Wickersty

Our goal was to make the brand more cohesive and versatile as a foundation for entry into the retail market and continued growth.

Working closely with Random Row, we revisited the brand’s story and refined the vision. The new identity refreshes existing brand elements and introduces new ones, working to set Random Row apart and reinforce their commitment to creating community.

To strengthen the brewery’s values of community and charity, we developed two new mottos for the brewery: Crafting Community is the brand’s primary tagline.
Alternate logo lock-up with Crafting Community slogan
women laughing with Crafting Community circular logo overlaid

Pour It Forward is a secondary tagline that can be used to create brand impressions for the brand’s charitable work. This is one of our favorite submarks, a design based on the brewery’s tap handles.

The new wordmark is built from the font Rift Soft. It’s similar to the old font in its narrow and rounded forms, but cleaner and more versatile with a larger character set and more weights. Customizations—like the distinctive lines—add a sense of randomness and make the mark more proprietary to Random Row.
reversed Random Row icon and logo on navy background

The RR monogram has been central to the brand from the beginning. The new version is bold and modern but distinctly Random Row. The redrawn stalk of barley now sits vertically, creating a more balanced composition.

The Random Row identity comes to life through a set of secondary logos, marks, and patterns which can be used to express the brand’s story and personality in different ways. 

The new badge was inspired by the industrial history of the brewery’s location.
product mocks with Random Row badge

The new brand also introduces a more refined color palette. The old identity relied primarily on navy blue, which was limiting, so we paired an updated Random Row Blue with a warm earthy, gold, and a cool, steel gray.

Random Row sits on the site of a lumberyard from the 1900’s. A key element from the old brand was the cross section of a tree. We loved the idea behind this mark, but the shape was confusing with their audience, so we introduced wood back into the brand identity via a backdrop texture.

We are so thrilled with the stunning new identity for the Random Row Brand, and can’t wait to see the brand come to life around the brewery, in the meantime… we’re hard at work on can designs. Keep an eye out for Random Row in your local store next year!

What We Did

  • Visual Identity
  • Brand Strategy
Starr Hill Brewery
Six Hundred West Main