Resurrect Series (Concept)

Derrick Lin

Global

Designer: PJ Engel
Project Type: Concept
Location: Schenectady, NY, USA
Packaging Contents: Craft beer
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Aluminium cans

This is a side project for 2017 where I rebrand a dead brewery from each state each week. Then I create five designs for new beers that somehow reference something unique to the surrounding area or state it was in. By the end of the year, I will cover all 50 states with two repeats. The ground rules for the project are that each weekend I spend one hour maximum on research and branding for the following week. Then each weekday I spend another hour max on the current days design. In the beginning the hour limit was tricky, but I’ve since gotten in the groove and whittled most days to about 25 minutes or so.

Visually, some weeks have produced a common theme or visual language and others have not. The purpose was to experiment in small bursts and start my day off with something fun to design before I jump into my day-to-day client work. The local references have given each design a story that is unique and off-beat content to consume each day. If I retain any of the info, I’ll be quite the opponent at Trivial Pursuit. It can vary from famous residents, to odd laws, to roadside attractions. Anything that is out of the ordinary is preferred; Mount Rushmore was not featured in the South Dakota week for example.

What’s Unique?
I’m pretty sure that no one else has done a daily or weekday passion project on packaging. I have seen lettering, logos, illustrations, even food plating; but no packaging. As packaging designers we try to tell a story through our decisions, but often it ends as a suggested style. This project however, has carefully chosen narratives that draw the user in to find out why.

The series is currently on day #130 and all can be viewed via my Instagram.