Origin Malt
Based in the heart of Ohio, with farming partners throughout the Great Lakes region, Origin Malt is bringing the art of growing and malting barley within shouting distance of craft breweries and distilleries throughout the Midwest.
Origin Malt wanted to shorten the supply chain for Midwest breweries who rely on importing barley malt from across the globe. The challenge was appealing to a market with established suppliers that were integral to their brewing. Our approach led us to a messaging and brand strategy that encouraged farmers and brewers to join the Origin Malt movement with total supply chain traceability.
The brand and messaging cut straight to the chase.
We reflected the plain and simple mentality of the Midwest in a straightforward, utilitarian library of assets that create an immersive, attitudinal brand voice. The concept of Midwest Independence unified the pieces and parts that make Midwest brewing sustainable.
Illustration was needed to create a unique and authentic visual presence.
As we continued to apply the Origin Malt brand to marketing applications, illustration was the next step to extend it. The goal was to differentiate visually from their competition’s rural and industrial photography and connect with their audience in a unique way. We approached this illustration with a style that was organic in line and texture, but geometric in composition to connect back to the foundations of the brand. The illustrations were designed to scale from spot illustrations to large-format depictions of the holistic supply chain and will be applied to a number of use cases in the near future.
We promoted Origin Malt’s brand and products with a website.
The homepage introduced the ‘Seed to Sip’ philosophy with illustrations that connected farmers and brewers as partners throughout the process. The story connected visitors across the site for more information about brewing, farming, and purchasing with Origin Malt. The website also included a portal to manage contracts, track order history, and share updates with their brewing partners.
Visit The Website
The product photography gave each product its own unique story to tell.
Approaching the photography, we wanted to differentiate from competitors even further—many of whom don’t show the malt itself. We wanted to tell a more comprehensive story about each product by including ingredients that complimented the flavor profile—visually depicting what makes each malt variety unique. Other supporting photography captured the Origin Malt product experience with shots of their bold, red bags and beer brewed with their malt.
Working with ZoCo Design has been a pleasure. Their team dove in head first to understand our business and vision from the very beginning. The work they’ve done for our brand has been excellent, and they continue to find ways to help push Origin Malt in a positive direction. Knowing we have a partner like ZoCo allows us to think bigger about how we position ourselves because when we work together, it feels like they are a part of our own internal team.
Sara Hagerty, Sales and Marketing Director
Together, we continue to grow the Origin Malt brand and support the Midwest.
What we delivered to Origin Malt:
Brand Strategy Workshop
Messaging Strategy
Brand Identity
Illustration
Website Design
Packaging
Brand Collateral
Environmental Design
