Stroh's Beer "We Work Together"

Rebrand and Packaging Design System

Stroh's:
Beer for boom, bust, and revival

Stroh’s Brewery Company is a cult favorite in our beautiful, dynamic, complicated city. Working closely with Pabst Brewing and the Stroh’s team, we crafted a deeply contextualized brand guide for our beloved local brew. Our strategy focused on revitalizing Stroh’s sense of place and relevance to a new generation of beer lovers in the Motor City and beyond.

Historic Workers Strohs Beer
Two Women Sunset Drinking Stroh's Beer

Then and now

Historical images inspired our team at every turn. Stroh’s was founded in Detroit in 1850 and enjoyed by the city’s working class for over a century—so there was no shortage of source material. Coupled with contemporary shots, these images showcase Stroh’s and Detroit’s deeply intertwined narratives.

"We are Detroit's Beer" on City Skyline Stroh's

Stroh’s offers an affordable, quintessential hometown beer for a community hard at work.

Stroh's Beer Typography

Strength of a lion

The heraldic crest, Stroh’s most enduring asset, has been with the brand since the very beginning. We also proposed a streamlined script and introduced new typography that balanced new and old.

Lion Crest on Man's Hat Stroh's Beer
Stroh's Beer Logo Script Typography
Stroh's Beer Cans Bottles Design Concepts

For proof of concept, we developed sample packaging and can designs that reimagined the brand’s hierarchy of design elements. Art by a Detroit painter added authentic color, texture, and an additional sense of place.

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The results

We created a beautiful brand book for Pabst Brewing Co.’s internal team. The Stroh’s brand is now poised for growth within Pabst’s extensive portfolio of heritage brands.

Stroh's Beer Brand Book

Skidmore's Detroit-centric strategy and design expertise shaped our path forward.

—Andy Gurjian, Brand Manager

Man in Crowd with Stroh's Beer Lion Crest on Shirt
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Flower

Let's get to work.