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FER RUGAMA | ART & DESIGN
BRIEF
The, back then, emerging Costa Rican brand of craft beer 'Fondo Blanco' was in dire need of a strong and recognizable visual presence across its brand applications, including packaging, promotional products, and social media posts, among others.
FONDO BLANCO'S BRAND
2016-2018 | WORK PROJECT
CLIENT
Fondo Blanco,
active from
2016 to 2018
COLLAB
Individual project
ROLE
Graphic, branding and packaging designer
TECH
Adobe Illustrator
Photoshop
Plotter
PRINTED BRAND APPLICATIONS
Since the brand was collaborating with other brands, restaurants, and festivals, it was necessary to design promotional materials such as menus, roll-ups, banners, among others.
BRAND ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrations made for each beer to be used in various brand applications. Each beer and illustration is based on an important date in Costa Rican history, with the illustrations representing those historic events in a sketchy style to maintain the handcrafted values of the brand.
PROCESS
The process for each brand application was usually the same: looking for references, getting inspiration from them, starting to sketch ideas with Fondo Blanco’s brand image in mind, and lastly, discussing and selecting the best option with the stakeholders.
USERS & NEEDS
The target users for the brand were mainly beer enthusiasts and connoisseurs, as the products aimed to be high-end and rich in flavor. After that, the brand wanted to expand its reach to include all types of beer consumers.
OVERVIEW
Since the brand already had its initial brand image defined (logo and official bottle labels), it now required the expansion of both its promotional products and its visual communication brand applications. (Click here to watch my product design work with Fondo Blanco).
In this case, the brand required social media posts, printed banners, illustrations, and printed menus, among others.
Skip process, jump to final solution →
Research for inspiration > Sketching > Discussion/selection > Final design
CHALLENGES
The main challenge of the project was keeping an updated image for the brand while maintaining its traditional, local, and handcrafted values, not only captivating the users with the richness of the beer’s palate, but matching that with an engaging visual side in all its mediums.
GOALS
• Translate Fondo Blanco’s local, eco-friendly, and handcrafted values to the new brand applications.
• Expand Fondo Blanco’s client reach and engagement trough social media.
• Maintain a low-cost budget for the printed brand applications.
SOLUTIONS
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT
I had the responsibility of creating eye-catching content that felt planned and purposeful while managing all the accounts (responding to comments, DMs, and Facebook chats).
Check out Fondo Blanco's, now inactive, social media:
ORO 1502: This Pale Ale Beer was inspired by the first arrival of Spanish Conquerors to Costa Rica in 1502, marking the beginning of the looting of our country's gold. "Oro" is the Spanish word for "Gold," which aligns perfectly not only with this historic event but also with the golden color of the beer itself. The illustration for this beer depicts the three ships in which the Spanish Conquerors arrived on our land.
NEGRA 1635: This Stout Beer commemorates the discovery of a national Catholic emblem: "La Negrita," a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary that reappeared in the same spot even after being removed. Eventually, a Catholic church was constructed around the statue as it was considered holy. "La Negrita" translates roughly to "The Little Black Lady," alluding to the statue's black stone color, which pairs perfectly with the dark color of the beer itself. The illustration depicts the location where the statue was first found and the devotion of Costa Ricans to it.
ROJA 1948: This Red Ale Beer pays homage to the Costa Rican Civil War of 1948, one of the bloodiest events in Costa Rican history. "Roja" is the Spanish word for "Red," symbolizing the bloodshed caused by the war, which also complements the deep red color of the beer itself. The illustration portrays the men who fought in the war.
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