Sam Calagione, founder of the award-winning, and still “OffCentered” Dogfish Head Brewery has a lot in common with British rock legend Rod Stewart. Both men know (almost on a cellular level) that “Every Picture Tells a Story.” This title track of Stewart’s breakthrough 1971 album was one of eight songs that revealed his distinctive vocal style described on the website dcsaudio.com as “a mixture of folk, rock and blues, with flashes of London art school cool and American country.”
Artists are rarely one dimensional. Each one has at their disposal an arsenal of talents they bring together to deliver something unique.
Which brings us back to Dogfish Head’s artistic, musical and multi-talented founder, Mr. Calagione. After 20+ years, he realized that a new generation of craft beer afficionados were missing out on the stories behind his off-centered, awardwinning beers. The problem was the lack of visual consistency across the portfolio.
Calagione explained to Heady Times why change was needed.
“Today’s consumers don’t walk into a store knowing what beer they are going to buy. The decision is usually made on the spot. And you only have about three seconds to catch the eye of a shopper. That’s it. I realized that our amazing labels (which I absolutely LOVE) are all different. That lack of consistency made sense when we first started. It was central to the “off-centered” discovery experience that made hunting for a new craft [beer] really fun. And it worked when there weren’t so many choices on the shelf. Now it’s confusing, or worse… the message is lost. The essence of our beers and the world of music and clothing collaborations, record releases, discussion forums, books we created over the years… This body of work is a big part of the DFH experience, but our labels weren’t communicating that anymore. When the picture doesn’t tell the story, it’s time to create one that does. We are still the same gritty, passionate, storytelling company we have always been. You know, same as it ever was. Now with our new look, I’m confident that more people will discover what Dogfish Head is all about.”
About Kramer Beverage
Kramer Beverage is South Jersey’s largest beer wholesaler and is owned and operated by the Kramer family – through four generations – since 1924. Kramer Beverage is based out of Hammonton and serves an eight-county footprint in South Jersey with top brands from Molson Coors, Constellation, Yuengling, Boston Beer, Heineken USA, Pabst, Diageo, FIFCO, and others. Kramer Beverage also distributes wine, spirits, and a variety of craft beers from suppliers such as New Belgium and Sierra Nevada to local favorites, including Cape May Brewing, Flying Fish, MudHen, Double Nickel, Evil Genius, and Glasstown. For more information on Kramer Beverage, please visit www.kramerbev.com.