a Culinary Identity for our first ever beer brand: Bavaria

the briefing

Bavaria, a beer brand that has a reputation for being quirky and always surprising, has an unashamedly strong connection to their roots in Brabant — the Southern region of The Netherlands where life is enjoyed to the fullest.
Our mission was to not only step up the quality perception of the beer, but also to make sure we make it look unique to the brand.

the strategy

The people from the province of Noord Brabant are known for being warm and welcoming — not to mention their penchant for a good time. They just love some good ol’ southern ‘gezelligheid’, a Dutch term that refers to all things fun and positive while socialising. We wondered - what exactly is inside these refreshing bubbles in the beer? In Bavaria, surely each bubble is filled with joie de vivre, with the urge to go out and enjoy life. And if there's enough bubbles, a thick, fresh layer of foam will form on the beer. The foam is the perfect playground for our Culinary Identity.

the culinary identity

We created an iconic distinctive brand asset, the Schuimkuif. It's a Dutch word we created for Bavaria: 'schuim' directly translates to 'foam', 'kuif' means a 'quiff' — an upwards styled fringe. The wavy shape of foam on top of the beer has a happy, celebratory connotation and it's simply always there if you see a Bavaria beer.
Now what does the Schuimkuif tell us? It's formed when placing the beer down, or when grabbing it. So the beer is always in motion. Wether in frame or not, it's in a consumer's hand so never fully straight. The division between beer and foam is not a perfect line, it's a bit wavy and has gradients. The yellow of the beer is made or a-symmetrical gradients for a natural look, and in situ, whatever is behind the beer is visible. And obviously, there's always bubbles in the beer. How else could a Schuimkuif be formed? Long and short: the beer looks like it wasn't shot in a photo studio, but in a real environment in the hands of a real consumer.

It makes a Bavaria beer look about as joyful as Brabant can be.

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