Marston’s plc has unveiled new branding for The Eagle Brewery and its famous beer brands. The new brand has been created with Ampthill-based creative agency Bonfire Creative Intelligence.
The Eagle Brewery was born from the £55 million sale of the Charles Wells Ltd brewing and brands business to Marston’s in May last year.
It briefed Bonfire to develop a new brand story and visual identity that would align the brewery with its vision for the business as part of a £250,000 refurbishment of the brewery in Havelock Road.
The eagle has been associated with Bedford for centuries and The Eagle Brewery’s new brand identity draws on this with a contemporary rework of its existing eagle
symbol. Unlike the way the bird is typically represented in Bedford, however, the brewery’s new eagle looks left – to signify Marston’s unique point of view, said a spokesman – and position the brand as progressive and forward thinking while still remaining true to its heritage as a master brewer.
The Eagle Brewery and its new branding were presented at a grand opening ceremony on Friday (January 19), supported by a local press campaign and social media activity. The new branding also appears on digital assets, brewery truck livery and point of sale material.
Marston’s marketing manager Gordon Keen said: “The Eagle Brewery brand will be the flagship of Marston’s new venture in Bedford.
“We wanted a new visual identity that was representative of our innovative and future-facing approach to brewing but that also remained true to the brewery’s enviable heritage as a master brewer and its long-standing relationship with the town of Bedford and wider area.
“Bonfire have captured all these elements with the bold, striking new eagle logo.”
The agency’s founder and strategic development director Stephen Judge said: “Refreshing an existing brand with such a strong heritage is a unique challenge.
"It has to maintain its links to the community and its history while reflecting the contemporary style and approach of the new owners, and translating across multiple touchpoints, from signage and interiors to lorry liverys, bottle labels and pump clips.
“We are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Marston’s to create this new visual identity and to see it come to life at the grand opening of the Brewery.”
The Eagle Brewery currently makes Eagle, Bombardier, Courage and Young’s bitter among the 18 beers brewerd there. Marston’s intends to add to that number, Mr Keen said. It has also opened a shop and a visitor centre which will run organisaed tours of the brewery.
