SIBA has been championing the interests of independent brewers since before many of us were of the legal age. Formed in 1980, the Small Independent Brewers Association as it was, represented a growing number of specialist brewers.

As the sector evolved, so did the organisation, no longer representing just small brewers, SIBA evolved into the Society of Independent Brewers.

In the last two decades, with the explosion of craft beer, driven in no small part by SIBA’s successful campaign for Small Breweries’ Relief, the organisation has flourished.

Now with over 750 members, a national awards scheme, annual conference attended by thousands, beer festivals, training and support programmes, influencing and advising on government policy, the organisation is thriving.

Small changes to the brand had been made in that time, but the core identity hadn’t kept pace with the dynamic world of independent beer or the organisation itself.

For the new brand, we found our inspiration in the energy and vitality of contemporary museums and galleries, as organisations that share many of the same challenges and context of SIBA.

As trusted and respected curators of brands and content, they appeal to diverse audiences with different interests, across a broad range of products and services. At their heart is a highly visual and recognisable core brand, with the flexibility to scale, adapt and grow.

To achieve that for SIBA, we created an identity centred on a single idea, that acts as a platform to represent the characteristics and variety of SIBA and its membership.

That core idea is that SIBA has a big voice, far bigger than its size suggests, with a clear focus to serve its members.

Our aim was create a core logo mark that can become an icon, instantly recognisable by the industry. It’s part of larger identity that is a modular and scalable design system with the flexibility built in, to work effectively across multiple channels and contexts.

At its heart, SIBA is The Big Voice of Independent Beer. That idea is amplified through the graphic loudhailer device that holds the name. With tightly cropped SIBA inside the shape and the evolved full name alongside, the core logo has energy and vitality that reflects the independent beer sector.

With several strings to the SIBA bow, the bright colour palette is both a brand awareness tool and a practical tool. The colourways are already growing to represent different parts of the organisation.

The rebrand was announced at BeerX, SIBA’s annual conference, and got a universally positive response.

We’re told it’s almost unheard of to please so many different stakeholders in the organisation and the wider industry.