Sasquatch Agency

Drink

Steeplejack Brewing naming and brand launch

Brand Strategy, Positioning, Naming, Identity, Packaging

An inauspicious market

College friends Brody and Dustin had long shared a dream to open a brewery. So one day, during the height of the pandemic, in the midst of an overly saturated Portland brewing scene, they bought a church, called us and asked “Now what?” We gave them the strategy, name, identity, and packaging they needed to succeed and (rapidly) grow in a mature market.

The Steeplejack Brewing Co. sign outside the church breweryView larger
The Steeplejack pub inside the church, with diners under the dome and the brewhouse to one sideView larger

The opportunity

In order to stand out in a mature, crowded metropolis of Northwest craft breweries, we needed to nail every aspect of the launch, lay a strong foundation of brand positioning and come up with a sticky name that was authentic and hinted at a deeper story.

Four Steeplejack cans illustrated with the church in gold, blue, red and green, for Willow Witbier, Mexicano Dramatico, Caretaker IIPA and Amelia GrodziskieView larger
Four white Steeplejack cans, each carrying the crest in its own colorView larger

The solution

An in-depth competitive review and hundreds of names later, we landed on “Steeplejack.” The name captures a hardworking ethos while tying directly to their church-based location. We equipped them with a deep brand toolkit, merchandise assets, and a multi-tier packaging strategy playing to their reverence for beer and sense of community.

The Steeplejack crest painted in gold on dark shinglesView larger
A can in a black Steeplejack Brewing koozieView larger
A glass of hazy beer etched with crossed tools, on a bar drip trayView larger

The results

Despite exceptionally thick local competition, a pre-launch buzz-building campaign helped Steeplejack open to a massive, eager audience. Within a few years of launch, they successfully expanded to additional locations across Oregon.

Black fabric printed with a repeating pattern of Steeplejack logos and marksView larger
A black Steeplejack cap embroidered with crossed toolsView larger
A black Steeplejack T-shirt with an SJ badgeView larger
Steeplejack Brewing stickers scattered on a gold surfaceView larger
A pint of golden beer in a Steeplejack Brewing glassView larger
A white Willow Witbier can and a gold Steeplejack can lying side by sideView larger

In short

What did Sasquatch do for Steeplejack Brewing?

Sasquatch named and branded Steeplejack Brewing, a brewery and pub in a historic church in Northeast Portland, before it opened. The work covered brand strategy, positioning, a three-round naming process, identity, packaging and a launch toolkit, and Steeplejack opened to an eager crowd despite thick local competition.

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Frequently asked questions

How did Steeplejack Brewing get its name?

Sasquatch ran a three-round naming process that produced hundreds of names, vetted against the brand’s positioning, the brewery’s build-out renderings and trademark availability. Steeplejack captures a hard-working ethos and ties back to the brewery’s home in a historic church.

Where is Steeplejack Brewing?

Its first brewery and pub is in a historic church in Northeast Portland. Steeplejack has since opened additional locations.

What did Sasquatch's work for Steeplejack include?

Brand strategy, positioning, naming, identity and packaging, along with a deep brand toolkit, years’ worth of merchandise assets, and a multi-tier packaging strategy built on reverence for beer and a sense of place and community.

Why was the timing hard for a new Portland brewery?

Portland’s craft beer market was saturated and, in many ways, collapsing under its own weight. A new brewery had to stand out from a mature, crowded field of Northwest craft breweries from opening day.

How was Steeplejack received?

A pre-launch campaign built buzz, and the brewery opened to an extremely eager audience despite thick local competition. Beervana Blog ranked it the most impressive place in Portland to drink a pint, and the brand work earned a Platinum award at the Craft Beer Marketing Awards.

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