R&B Brewing are one of Vancouver’s original craft brewers, and their philosophy and approach is decidedly “East Van”. After extensive exploration, we landed on a crafting a 100% hand rendered design – which sets R&B apart from all the other noise on the shelf, and truly reflects the commitment to handcrafting beer as well as fitting them tonally through and through.

The bottle labels as well as the cartons have been completely created though hand rendering – from the brands’ key visuals of a West Coast Raven and an East Van building, to all the product info, brewery map, and, yes, even the bar code.

The bar code proved quite laborious to create by hand, while still functioning optimally at retail. Despite the trouble, it just seemed a sin to compromise on any part of the design. Lucky for us, we had the help of the great team at Sterling Packaging who were committed and very patient with all of our tests, which eventually led to success.

The carton also features the full specific brewing information for each brand, including a hand rendered IBU scale, boil information, aging temperature, hop and barley type mix, as well as tasting notes, satisfying the most geeky craft beer fan. All illustrations and hand rendered type were done by the team at St. Bernadine.

These don’t just look good, but are truly delicious beers. But don’t take our word for it, try them yourself. The 6 packs are currently available at leading craft beer retailers and select on premise locations.

This year, St. Bernadine was recognized again (not once, but twice!) for branding projects we completed for The Delta Lion Pub and The James Hotel.

Delta Lion Pub Logo - After

Delta Lion Pub Logo - Before

Delta Lion Pub Menu - After

Delta Lion Pub Menu - Before

Known to locals as ‘The DLP’, The Delta Lion Pub has been a neighbourhood institution in Delta, BC, for over 30 years. Due to the growing number of regional chain restaurants in the area, the pub faced increased competition. A rebrand was needed to compete with newer offerings and elevate the brand’s aging image. After a brand discovery process, we created a brand platform around the idea of the “authentic neighborhood pub” that positioned the Delta Lion Pub as the hub of the community – a place where locals come to connect. Logos were collected from old businesses’ archives in the area and used as part of the identity to pay homage to the community. A new Delta Lion Pub logo was created that took design cues from vintage logos and references old sign-painted typography that would have been found in the community. The visual identity and color palette reflect the brand position by being warm and welcoming.

The Jame Hotel Logo - After

The Jame Hotel Logo - Before

The Jame Hotel Menu - After

The Jame Hotel Menu - Before

The James Hotel, located in Saskatoon, Canada, was established in 2012 as a boutique-style offering for both business and leisure travellers seeking a luxury experience that was otherwise unavailable in the area. At the time of completion, the hotel owners didn’t feel that their current branding accurately captured the hotel’s unique story or guest experience. St. Bernadine was called upon to remedy their design and brand identity problems.

A brand discovery process helped us gain insight into The James Hotel brand. Paying respect to the owners’ three generations of dedicated hoteliers, initiated by the hotel’s namesake “James,” the result was a warm and welcoming signature logo. Paper selection, ink colors, and furnishing-inspired patterns helped support the premium, understated quality of the hotel.

For more recent projects, including rebrands, check out our work samples.