Creemore Springs Brewery has changed its look.
The brewery’s new modern logo incorporates two of its most important elements, fire and water. The fresh spring water and the process of fire brewing in a copper kettle are what make the beer special, said brand manager Stephanie McLarty. It is one of few breweries that use the traditional brewing technique.
The brewery is coming to the end of a year-long process to refresh and re-imagine the brand, she said. The new logo depicts a swirl of water cupped in a copper coloured flame, and they have dropped the ‘Springs’ from the moniker, simply going by ‘Creemore’.
“It has been a bit polarizing,” said McLarty. “People either love it or they hate it.”
The new look is for the Lager, Lot 9 and a new India Pale Ale, all made under the Creemore label.
McLarty said the market is changing dramatically and in order for Creemore Springs to stand out from other craft brewers they decided to take a risk.
Creemore Springs Brewery was founded 32 years ago. It was within the first five to make any headway in a market dominated by big breweries. Now there are hundreds of craft breweries, said McLarty.
She said Creemore Springs Brewery’s founder John Wiggins’ logo is very traditional so they set out to replace it with “something that would break through the proverbial clutter”.
“Thirty two years ago, faced with challenges, John Wiggins decided to take a risk with a new venture and ended up putting Creemore on the map,” said McLarty. It is with that spirit of risk-taking and fresh-thinking that the re-branding was undertaken.
“We have to elevate ourselves from fighting for every craft tap,” she said.
Ultimately, she said, the packaging may have changed but the beer hasn’t. It has the same great taste.
Also, the Creemore Springs logo was designed for the brewery’s only brew at that time, the premium lager, and now there are the three brews plus those made under the Mad and Noisy label. Its logo of a steaming kettle has a complementary style to the new Creemore logo.
That label originated as a vehicle for brewers to innovate and experiment, “let their hair down”, said McLarty. Mad and Noisy beers, also brewed in Creemore, currently include the lagered ale, the orange pale ale and a new coconut porter.
On Saturday, March 16, Creemore Springs Brewery is inviting the community to come see the new look for themselves, sample the new IPA and enjoy some light refreshments and entertainment, including live music, ice and wood sculptor Jim Leithead, face painting by darci-que, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Creemore Springs has spent 30 years earning brand recognition. The original logo is on sandwich boards, taps, coasters, glasses, merchandise, and everything else all over the province—which is a feat for such a small brewery. This new logo ignores all of that that effort.
It will not break through the noise, it will get lost in it. People who know the Creemore brand will not be able to find it. Potential customers will see this logo as childish and amateur, and not an accurate reflection of the calibre of the beer. Craft beer labels are often intricate and fun, and Creemore’s original branding was appropriate, reflecting its position as a traditional lager and “100 years behind the times”.
This decision was made hastily and without proper research, which shows that the success of beverage companies is based entirely on brand engagement, and not on the quality of the beverage. This change will be costly to implement, and costly to inevitably undo.
“You either love it or hate it” doesn’t apply here – nobody loves it. They exclusively hate it (not a single positive comment yet on their Facebook). Creemore says it’s because people are afraid of change – I say it’s Creemore Springs that’s afraid of change – change in the market – and they are afraid to stay the same, and true to the brand.
Absolutely agree! Well stated!
I’m so glad I did a Google search and found out other people were as disgruntled by this change as I was. The old can was subtle, tasteful, pastoral. This one looks like the branding of a skateboarding company say my friends.
I agree 100%. I feel like I’m drinking beer out of a can meant for a drinking box for kids. Disappointed with the new direction. Why fix something that wasn’t broken. Another Molson decision gone wrong, just like their new design. Moving on to a different brand. #lostaloyalcustomer
Absolutely agree with above comments.
Logo, colours and font are terrible to say the least!
I can only sadly agree Ian. As a creemore fan since moving to Canada from Scotland I loved everything about the the brand from its quality product to the packaging. This new Branding is absolutely hideous and looks very amateur in comparison with the other craft beers I presume they are using as a bench mark. Very sad and will ultimately lead to a loss in customers and nothing positive what so ever.
For fans of real craft beer, it’s very upsetting to read a story about a beer produced by Molson Breweries, and have it described as s craft beer.
You can’t put lipstick on a pig.
Absolutely agree with above comments.This new Branding logo is absolutely hideous and looks very amateur in comparison to other craft beers. Terrible waste of money to sell something that is already saleable. A child could have done a better job.
I almost always pour my Creemore and never spend anytime reading the can or savoring the art. The first label I remember had horse racing on it. Remember it is the beer that is important. I will always choose the steak rather then the sizzle.
This may well prove to be a very costly mistake. It has instantly lost its shelf appeal. We consume through our eyes first. People will come to their own conclusions about the change in logo, and “fun” and “modern” aren’t what they will be thinking.
I love the new label especially the flame and the Stream says what is unique about creemore beer Flame brewed spring water very clever use of those two symbols can’t wait to see it on a t-shirt
I miss the traditional Creemore Springs label. The new one is very generic and doesn’t hold the same feeling for me. I know the contents are the same but I’ve already started to branch into different brands. New is not always necessarily better.
The cream coloured Creemore Springs wavy ribbon banner with the springwater sketch was (is?) simply iconic. It’s what we’ve lalways ooked for when wanting that quality product. It has not been “lost” among the other offerings but it sure is now with that wonky idea of new branding.
Why on Earth would someone want to change such a well recognized and successful brand to something that does indeed get lost amongst the multitude of craft offerings on the shelf. Think of all the other brands that have stayed true to their original branding. Coco-cola, Guinness, Heineken are just a few that come to mind. There are many others. What would happen if Ford changed from their blue oval, if Chevy changed from their bow-tie, if Chrysler changed from the pentastar? Are you seeing the light yet?
I really hope Creemore listens to all this and so many other’s feedback and does the right thing.
It’s not too late Creemore to change back. Your audience will be eternally grateful that you did.
Simply put, you don’t mess with success.
Leave it to Molson to ruin a good thing. Really not a fan of new look guys.