Mill Street Blue Wave

Ontario is one of the most competitive craft beer markets in North America with over 300 breweries creating thousands of brews. So, how could Mill Street stand out in a crowded market? The answer lay in a strategic sports partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays, which led to the birth of a stadium beer dedicated to the fans. We were inspired by The Wave, a quirky stadium tradition that’s been abandoned by the rest of baseball. How could we turn it into a movement all of Canada could drink in?

Introducing: Blue Wave - a rally-cry in a can.

Our innovative product branding and packaging design strategy centered on tying Mill Street to the Ontario community. The beverage package’s colourways were inspired by the Blue Jays’ ‘New Blue’ uniforms - with baby blue base and dark blue accents speaking to the next generation of fans while nodding to the nostalgia of the past. Embossed baseball stitches became the focal point of the beer’s design, serving as a visual metaphor for The Wave. Innovative package design technology also turned accents like the stitches into a tactile experience. Finally, we created a custom wordmark in the shape of a wave to tie the packaging to the concept, pushing the boundaries of product branding and package design.

Blue Wave made an impact in Ontario’s craft beer market. Positioned as a beacon of craft beer marketing and beverage branding, Mill Street’s Blue Wave became the number one new craft beer innovation in the province, helped increase market share by 0.5 points and had 36-million PR impressions on opening weekend alone. Enough to fill up the Rogers Centre 700 times.

Awards:

Applied Arts: D-052: [DE/13 Logo - Single]

The One Show: Design // Brand Identification - Logo

Comm Arts Design: Shortlist Packaging – Single

Strategy Design AOY Finalist