Crafting Nostalgia with a Modern Twist

A successful project is often the culmination of creativity, innovation and a deep understanding of the client’s vision. Recently, our team had the privilege of collaborating with Sixth City Soda, a local Cleveland craft soda venture, to build a brand identity and package designs for their exciting new soda line. 
 

A bit of background 

Rewinding a bit, our journey with Sixth City Soda began years ago through our partnership with Goldhorn Brewing, a beloved Cleveland-based brewery where the thunder::tech team frequently enjoys happy hours. Over the years we've designed numerous beer can labels for Goldhorn, deepening our relationship with them. 

Fast forward to 2023, Goldhorn's General Manager, Mike Clark, approached us with a remarkable idea – locally brewed craft soda featuring reimagined classic flavors. And thus, under the Sixth City Beverage Group came Sixth City Soda, a small batch, hand-crafted local soda line featuring three unique flavors:  

• Honey Blonde Root Beer made from fresh Ohio honey from Mike's wife's hives 
• Maple Cream Soda using the finest Ohio maple syrup  
• And a limited-edition treat for the fall season - Apple Pie Soda. 

Mike entrusted us with the task of creating a brand identity and label designs that would not only pay homage to the nostalgia of traditional soda pop but also infuse new life into the carefully curated flavor profiles. 
   

The task  

Our first step was to create a logo and brand identity that encapsulated the heartwarming, old-school charm synonymous with classic soda. We ultimately created a logo featuring bubbly, fluid letterforms that exuded a feel-good, classic vibe, with the "x" seamlessly transitioning into an enticing drip. This design was housed in a vintage-inspired badge, to evoke the essence of Sixth City Soda. 

This sentiment extended beyond the logo and spilled onto the labels for the two core flavors, Honey Blonde Root Beer and Maple Cream Soda, and the limited-edition Apple Pie Soda. 

While the labels turned out stunningly (if we do say so ourselves), the designs were far from mere aesthetic choices. Every detail was meticulously designed to capture the quintessential soda-drinking experience. 
 
Illustrative textures related to honey, maple syrup and apple pie to give consumers a visual connection to the exquisite flavors they’re about to enjoy. A thoughtful note on the side of the label informs consumers about the dedication that goes into brewing Sixth City Soda's rich flavors and their commitment to sourcing quality local ingredients. 

 And we didn’t stop there. In keeping with our commitment to creating a complete brand experience, we also crafted packaging for carrying cases and shipping boxes. These elements further reinforced the brand Sixth City Soda aspired to instill. 
 

Showing it off 

After sending everything “off to print” and eagerly awaiting the arrival of bottled and labeled sodas, we finally had the pleasure of holding the final product in our hands. At that point, we knew we needed to show it off so that people all around Cleveland could get a taste of these delicious, thirst-quenching drinks. Lucky for us, our thunder::tech HQ features a dedicated space for such occasions – the Content Studio. 

The team orchestrated a photo shoot using real ingredients found in the sodas, creating images that were as delicious as the beverages themselves. Just take a look; the pictures speak for themselves.   

A picture-perfect partnership  

In the world of craft soda, Sixth City Soda stands out not only for its exceptional flavors but also for its distinctive branding. The partnership between Sixth City Soda and thunder::tech has proven to be a perfect blend of creativity and innovation. We're proud to have played a role in bringing this dream to life and look forward to what the future holds for this exciting venture. Cheers to Sixth City Soda! 

 

Do you have a crazy cool idea you’re hoping to take off the ground? Then you’re in the right place. Send us a message for all your branding, packaging and innovative needs!