Brewing Company Branding: Boss Dog Brewing Co.

Brothers Josh and Jason Czernek (and Mom) visited Go Media looking for a Cleveland design firm who could help bring their dream brewery to life. Their concept revolved around the name Boss Dog Brewery — Discovering how best to visualize the brand’s voice, aesthetic, and most literally how the dog looks, was the first step in getting this brand up and running (no pun intended).

Go Media’s Art Director, Chris Comella, reflecting on his work, which encompassed everything from mascot, print and logo design, to branding and illustration, typography to brand management, noted one of his biggest rewards connected with the Boss Dog Brewing Company project.

“One of the things we focus on in our design process is presenting multiple concepts. This allows us to get really creative, while at the same time vet different approaches to achieving our goals. With this project in particular, the three concepts approached visualizing the dog (which was a main focus for this brand) in different ways. The final product is a photo-realistic stance, whereas the other two options were a more iconic version, and an illustrative version. Although it’s simply one facet of the brand at large, being able to guide the client through those options and end up in a place that’s custom tailored for them is a very enjoyable experience.”

Designer Carly Utegg reflects on the project fondly, “We started off the project with a photo shoot of the clients beloved dog Stella. Once we were certain that Stella would become the face of the brand, this unique opportunity to bring her into the studio was one we couldn’t pass up.”

While this experience filled the office with laughter, Chris admits, “In terms of what was most challenging specifically, I’d have to say the photo shoot. It’s not easy under those bright studio lights, but Stella pulled through and got us some great shots to work with.”

At the end of the day, the tight-knit team was proud of their results.

“One of the main goals with the Boss Dog brand was to portray our canine mascot in a way that wasn’t overly masculine, notes Carly. “Finding this balance was something we worked through during the branding process, exploring a range of styles until we decided on a silhouette as the best solution. What we have as a end product is a brand that while it has a workman or firehouse feel to it doesn’t cross the line of being overly bold and masculine. I think this identity will serve them well and I’m excited to watch the identity grow as we continue to work with the clients on applying it to their various applications in the near future.”

From all the tail wagging, we can tell that Stella is happy with the results. The Boss Dog crew and Go Media can certainly cheers to that.