SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Michael Patrick Partners announced today that it has completed brand development of the identity, packaging, and marketing campaign to launch a family of organic, gluten-free hard seltzers. The line will be offered in five flavors under the brand name Suzie’s Organic Hard Seltzer. Product will be in Pacific Northwest stores late summer.
The spiked sparkling water with a kiss of fruit was crafted by Suzie’s Brewery Company of Pendleton, Oregon. Inspired by the most popular flavor trends of recent years, taste buds will be flooded with CitrusFlip™, KiwiMango, Peachy, and VeryBerry™—combined in a 12-can multipack. The same fruit flavors—plus a Naked nonflavored version—will also be offered in single-flavor six-packs.
Hard seltzer is a national beverage phenomenon—estimated to be valued at $4 billion by year’s end. As one of the only certified organic seltzers within the category, Suzie's natural flavors present a superior fresh-taste experience.
Creative agency Michael Patrick Partners, best known for designing the E*TRADE identity, developed Suzie’s brand as rooted in off-the-trail outdoor culture. Batches will be canned up to be savored with folks in the great, wide open but are equally delectable within the confines of an indoor base camp—provided consumption is six feet from the closest drinking partner. Or as they say in Montana, “Why so close?”
Robert Maidens and Keith Pacoma—the agency’s creative team—conceived the brand story. It's a colorful personality led by a series of quirky vintage Super 8 online-advertising videos featured within the seltzer website and social media.
Maidens, agency creative director, states, “We’re out to prove there ain’t nothing soft about hard organic. The competitive analysis led us to create a distinctive narrative positioning Suzie’s as the Official Hard Seltzer Of Mother Nature. And to support the outdoor themes, we featured iconic photography of Pacific Northwest landscapes. Then as product is rolled out to additional markets, we'll localize ads with images of regional outdoor settings."
Pacoma, associate creative director states, “We created distinctive labels and packaging with an organic feel to ensure the brand stands out like a green thumb. And to support Suzie’s environmental commitment, we initiated the Plant A Tree Promise™. Through a partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects (edenprojects.org), natural landscapes are being replanted worldwide. So as customers enjoy a Suzie’s seltzer, they can rejoice that a tree will be planted whenever 12 cans are sold.”
Certified by Oregon Tilth, a leading nonprofit organic certifier, Suzie’s Hard Seltzer ingredients meet the purist’s standard supported through manufacturing produced by a wind-power source. Each 12-fluid-ounce slim can serves 5% alcohol by volume (ABV), 100 calories, 2 grams of carbs, and zero grams of sugar brewed with organic alcohol fermented from organic cane sugar and organic-sourced natural flavors.
The agency was responsible for all advertising, brand communications strategy, naming, can label and package design, social media, marketing launch, in-store merchandising, PR, video, and the award-winning website.
About Michael Patrick Partners
Michael Patrick Partners is a San Francisco creative agency best known for developing the E*TRADE identity. Its expertise includes brand development, brand communications strategy, and design, plus digital and traditional marketing campaigns applied to differentiate a market presence at any stage of an organization’s life cycle. The body of work spans banking to beer, education to energy, hard seltzer to health care, and technology to transportation—engaging work that has received 500+ awards from the nation's most coveted competitions. Visit michaelpatrickpartners.com to learn more about the agency.
About Suzie’s Brewery Company
Headquartered in Pendleton, Oregon, Suzie’s Brewery Company is committed to producing the most delectable, thirst-quenching organic hard seltzer available. Our brews speak to the young, health-conscious culture leading active lifestyles and seeking adventure around every bend. We want to set everyone free in the middle of nowhere with a can of Suzie’s Hard Seltzer. You can learn more about us at suzieshardseltzer.com and follow us on social media. And please, think before you drink.
Media contact
Duane Michael Maidens, Michael Patrick Partners, 503.432.0696, duane@michaelpatrickpartners.com