Sergeant Walnuts has completed the rebrand of Joseph Holt’s lager, Spin Doctor.
While the drink has been around for more than a decade, the brewery decided to rebrand its look, after it won a Gold Medal at the International Brewing Awards.
It recruited Sergeant Walnuts following a competitive pitch last year.
The original look was music-themed, complete with a vinyl record logo, but the new vibrant design, it said felt “very on-point” for today’s world, “playfully blurring the line between real truth and fake news”
“The name was a real gift,” explained Sergeant Walnuts MD, Richard Attwater.
“Political spin doctors twist the truth and play with boundaries of fact and fiction, so our instinct was to have some fun with that. What made this idea all the more appealing was that the lager itself needed absolutely no overhype or exaggeration after winning a global award. We wanted to magnify that tension and inject some playful irreverence with some properly crafted storytelling. Spin Doctor Lager: Truth Brewed in Every Sip.”
The launch will be backed by an “unconventional and entertaining” activation campaign, ahead of its roll out across more than 60 Joseph Holt pubs over the next few months. That will include a parody newspaper, fully designed and penned by the agency’s team.
“In a world of fake news and extraordinary exaggeration, nobody is sure what to believe anymore,” added Creative Director, Gary Toal.
“We wanted to lean into that scepticism by building a world of nonsense around a very real, award-winning product. It really helped to create cut-through – even if what we were cutting through was daftness of our own making.”
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The Spin Doctor newspaper features headline news stories, sports articles, lonely hearts, classifieds and a “very unhelpful” weather report.
“The world of printed newspapers offers a brilliant aesthetic to bring our idea to life,” continued Toal.
“From distressed typography and eye-catching imagery, to the old-school feel of a CMYK colour palette. It enabled us to craft a suite of brand assets that put the spotlight on Spin Doctor’s quality, whilst also making it feel accessible and unforgettable.”
Joseph Holt Marketing Manager Paul Longmire added:
“We wanted an idea that was fun and engaging, with a brand identity that our globally recognised lager deserved. Sergeant Walnuts more than delivered, and were an absolute pleasure to work with. We’re thrilled with the end result and I’m sure our customers will enjoy the campaign as much as they enjoy a delicious pint of Spin Doctor.”
