When Little Ox Brewery needed a brand to symbolise their roots in Freeland, Oxfordshire, they turned to LemonTop Creative to provide a fresh, innovative approach to a brewery in a town steeped with history. The brewery is the dream of Head Brewer Ian Hemingway who has brewed his own beer for over thirty years. The availability of new hop varieties and affordable equipment gave Ian the impetus he needed to join a growing number of beer enthusiasts who have turned a passion into a commercial business. With a background in science and other skills learned from jobs in plumbing and marketing, Ian was confident he could build a brewery to make the people of Oxford proud.
From the very beginning, Ian’s mind was set on using an ox as a logo but he wanted to step away from the usual silhouettes or figures that other Oxfordshire business had been using. He had always been impressed with the work we were creating for other breweries so he decided to send us a brief and let us work our magic on the Little Ox Brewery brand.
Our creative team have produced many brands and corporate identities for local, national and international clients but there is always something satisfying about helping a new business realise their potential. We knew Ian wanted something a little out of the ordinary but realised he had his mind set on using the traditional ox normally associated with the city of Oxford. With this in mind we decided from the start that the typeface and colours we used would make all the difference to the Little Ox brand. The innovative typeface and bold icon along with daring colours and textures meant we built a brand that is unique.
We went on to create the corporate identity for the range of Little Ox beers, including Wipeout, Odd Bod and Filthy Rich. We continued the theme of daring colours and bold backgrounds to ensure eye catching and unique labels and pump clips that help the beers stand out and encourage customers to choose them.
Little Ox Brewery have a lust for hops and a determination to make exciting, full flavoured beers that are a change from the mundane. They need to show they are different and unique, and our creative team at LemonTop have given them a brand identity that does that.
