Thirsty Planet Brewing Co.

Branding, Art Direction, & Illustration
2016-2022

Thirsty Planet Brewing Co. is an Austin-based craft brewer, best described as fun fellas with big hearts. With a primary focus on crafting high-quality beers, the brewery dedicates a signifcant number of hours and dollars supporting local charities, initiatives, and individuals.

Handling all things visual, and often impromptu, I’ve taken on a bricoleur mentality, creating playful photography using on-hand props, quick gestural illustrations, all supported by quirky copy.

Ploys

Art Direction & Design

It’s a regional brewery with a goat as their mascot, so when it comes to marketing, it’s ok to let loose. When they were in-between buildings, with locals missing their tasting room, we made a record titled “Sounds of the Brewery”, a 6-Pack of Sound that brought listeners from bottling to pouring. Gold Flexi-vinyl records were inserted into select 6-packs during the launch of a new beer.

︎︎︎ Listen to the Record

Buckethead is their infamous 8.9% IPA that brings with it the phrase “Beer You Can Feel.” When it launched in bottles, we created The Damn 7-Pack, a custom cardboard bucket allowing fans to become the Buckethead.

A quick partnership with Favor, highlighting their ability to deliver beer in an hour or less - communicated by a live goat attempting to pull  a branded wagon full Thirsty Goat.

Good Times

Creative Direction & Design

Building upon Thirsty Planet’s 10-years of brewing beer and having fun, a regional campaign was launched around the idea of “Good Times”. Themes of Texas-sized tales, secret spots just for locals, and sharing tasty beers led to a simple tagline and illustrations that captured some of Austin’s most famous icons merged with things Austinites never stop talking about: tacos, queso, and beer. 

In addition to billboards, radio spots, and a social media push - a card game was designed to initiate conversation, asking Austin-centric questions about Eeyore’s Birthday, summiting Mt. Bonnell (elev. 775 ft), and chicken shit bingo.

The campaign led to a visual vocabulary that now populate social media posts and in-store displays. 

Brite Tank

Creative Direction & Design

An initiative to connect the brewery to the local arts community, Brite Tank was developed to provide opportunities for creatives to showcase their talents through the brewery’s channels. In 2018, we invited Broad Studios to reimagine the Thirsty Goat Amber 6-pack, launching during the popular East

Austin Studio Tours (EAST) put on by Big Medium.

︎︎︎ Follow Broad Studios

In 2019, we invited artist Fernando Munoz to not only contribute artwork, but also work directly with a brewer to develop a recipe in response to his work. Three Strangers was born, a multi-faced beer pulling influence from South America, Mexico, and Vienna.

︎︎︎ Follow Fernando

In 2020, artist Dave McClinton co-created Dark Matters, responding to the BLM movement and political activity of 2020, brewing a coffee-infused beer intended to encourage folks to sit down and have a chat.

︎︎︎ Follow Dave McClinton

Artists are paid an honorarium, provided with opportunities to speak and exhibit at events during EAST, and are assured prominient storefront displays in local grocers.