Craft beer distributor James Clay was proud of its heritage; not just as a company that’s stayed true to its family-company roots, but as one of the driving forces behind the explosion of craft beer. Put it this way: it was importing lambics and hoppy IPAs when you were still in short trousers (and weren’t allowed to drink beer).
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/JamesClayRebrand_CaseStudy-Assets-scaled.jpg)
Branding & Creative, Strategy
Craft, curation and conveyance.
James Clay
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/JamesClayRebrand_CaseStudy-Assets2-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/JamesClayRebrand_CaseStudy-Split-Assets-1-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/James-Clay-Conveyance7-scaled.jpg)
Having worked with the marketing team at James Clay for a number of years, they asked us to deliver a rebrand that would more closely reflect their core values. This was to be orientated around a name change to ‘James Clay & Sons’ – in line with the leadership of the company being passed down from founder Ian Clay, to son James.
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/JamesClayRebrand_CaseStudy-Assets5-1-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/JamesClayRebrand_CaseStudy-Split-Assets2-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/JamesClayRebrand_CaseStudy-Assets11-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/JamesClayRebrand_CaseStudy-Assets8-1-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/JamesClayRebrand_CaseStudy-Assets9-scaled.jpg)
So we created an industrial heritage-influenced identity that would be perfectly suited to a wide range of contemporary environments including trucks, signage and uniforms – and happily sit alongside the logos of the beers, breweries and brands the company distribute in the UK. We also re-crafted the companies brand’s origin story and applied both to a big coffee-table style brand book.
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/JamesClayRebrand_CaseStudy-Assets12-1-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/JamesClayRebrand_CaseStudy-Assets13-1-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ilk.agency/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/James-Clay-Brewery-scaled.jpg)