OSTERHAUS BROTHERS
BREWING COMPANY
Tucker McKillop
In an age that print was king and the Bauhaus ruled supreme, existed a little brand that could. Osterhaus Brothers Brewing Company is a figurative brand with a non-fictional attitude. Risen from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire, crafted with Windy City brawn and Bavarian blood. Thanks can be made to the O’Leary cow that started it all.
Osterhaus Brothers Brewing Company: The Little Brand Project, is a creative thought exercise centered around the idea of branding a company from past to present. Agencies and aspiring designers alike often perform case studies on branding, however, this exercise has been personalized to fulfill my desires of combining theory with practice, historical research, and analysis with technical ability. My project was born out of experiences I have had both at Furman as a student and professionally as a designer. Though centered around Chicago, the brand's narrative expands far beyond the confines of the Windy City.
​
The summer after my freshman year at Furman, I had the opportunity to intern for The Nassal Company, the world's largest collective for constructing and fabricating themed attractions. While interning for Nassal, I learned the power of storytelling and brand appeal while working for Universal Studios and shadowing under Bryn Court. In high school, I took AP Studio Art and focused my concentration on photomanipulation with watercolor and coffee washes. I have always had a love for painting my own textures. The applications of these techniques have progressively become more and more advanced as I have aged and increased my talent.
​
Mediums for this project include the full gamut of one's artistic toolbelt. Pen and ink, coffee, watercolor, photography, (sculpture possibly in the future??), and the entire Adobe Creative Suite. I routinely used my personal printer to alter my designs physically through cut and paste methods, followed by scans and digital alterations. I would then edit and repeat the process over again.
​
In Photoshop, I have developed my own brushes and shortcuts. I choose to work with a mouse over a Wacom tablet for my labor-intensive weathering sessions. I find that the mechanical limitations of a mouse require me to be more instinctive with my art and designs. My aesthetic is mechanical and industrial so I need to use the most digitally primitive tools available.
​
Starting this project was no easy feat, as I had my blinders on, and my engine in idle for a large portion of this time frame. I became obsessed with the research, and not the application. My ability to connect the dots and rationalize ideas was a result of immaturity and arrogance. I am extremely thankful COVID allowed me to wake up and mature rapidly.
​
There is no real internal or deep meaning to my project other than I choose to do things, "Not because they are easy, but because they are hard."
​
Having the ability to live and work in Chicago this past summer served as the contextual foundation for my project, with the Newberry Library, visits to the Art Institute of Chicago, and Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum giving me a reason to nerd out over 1800's design ephemera. I went to the moon and back searching under every nook and cranny to weave a thread connecting Easter, Germany, and beer all together with design in Chicago.
From Bamberg to the Lill' Chi
In 1865 Wilhelm and Konrad Osterhaus left their home in Bamberg, Germany in pursuit of a new life in the United States. By 1868 the brothers had become lead brewmasters for America's most famous brewery and Chicago's first: Lill and Diversey. The brewery had developed a reputation for having the purest cream ale in America. Wilhelm and Konrad were instrumental in perfecting Lill and Diversey’s secret recipe. After the Great Fire of 1871, the brothers became owners of the destroyed company. Brick by brick, Willhelm and Konrad united the German population of Chicago instilling hope through their pints of cream ale. Thanks to the torching of their supply of hops, and barley, the cream ale brewed developed a smokey aroma and flavor, reminiscent of the smoked beer delicacy from the brother’s hometown in Bamberg.
​
In an age that print was king, existed a little brand that could. Risen from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire, crafted with Windy City brawn and Bavarian blood. Thanks can be made to the O’Leary cow that started it all.
Part 1: The Egg
Thanks to the innovation of printmaking techniques in the city, the resourceful Osterhaus brothers were able to develop an ingenious label playing off their last name, Osterhaus. They marketed themselves as the Easter Hare, osterhase, delivering golden eggs of bottled spring. The Osterhaus Cream Ale became easily recognizable and iconic, giving a reason to celebrate even during Chicago's cold winter months.
Prohibition Soda
As the Osterhaus brand moved into the 20th century, Prohibition saw the company develop orange cream soda, competing with local brand Orange Crush, as a way to still make use of their bottling facilities. However, as time progressed, the brand soon became a shell of its former self and faded away.
Part 2: The Rebrand
The Chicago craft beer scene today is as diverse, eclectic, and strange as the City with Broad Shoulders. Chi is home to the most breweries per capita in the United States. Now is the time for Osterhaus to make a comeback.
Osterhaus Bros. Brewing Co. pays homage to the brand's past, while simultaneously looking onward towards the future. Chicago is bound in tradition, and in the same way, this rebrand breathes life, brushing off the dust and cobwebs of a historic brewery.
Lake Michigan has served as the point of inspiration and interest for architects, designers, and entrepreneurs for the past 200+ years. When modernizing the Osterhaus "O" the logo itself was tweaked to fit within the confines of the pica. A unit of measurement commonly used by printmakers. The width and height of its O are incrementally based on the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio. In the 18th century, the flow of the Chicago River was reversed. In the same vein, the O mark shoots backward, defying expectations, science, and reason.
The Osterhaus wordmark incorporates letterforms created by Chicago-German typographers in the 1800s. The offwhite and cream colors stand for Chicago's Watertower, the location where Wilhelm sought refuge during the Great Fire. Thanks to his quick thinking, the secret recipe was saved for all to enjoy today.
Modernizing the Hare logo takes inspiration from the wild, unpredictable nature of fire, while simultaneously breathing life into the rebirth of the brand. Flames encapsulate a hop like form found in the hare's face, while its two ears shoot upward towards the sky like flags flying high in the wind, refusing to be lowered, backdown, or fail. The hare looks to the past, always cognizant of its beginnings.
When joined, the ears of the hare and O mark fuze to represent the Chicago river which runs through the city, time immemorial.
The wordmark and logo, when combined together, are symbolic of the brand's German roots and tradition, paying homage to the immigrants who built the city we see today.
Serendipitous moments define the Osterhaus brand. Enthusiasts often find themselves observing the deep symbolism and details incorporated into its logo, wordmark, and typography.
The circular mark is reminiscent of tied houses, found throughout Chicago. This is a reinterpretation, a modern twist on the age-old tradition of beer halls and taprooms.
Wilhelm and Konrad believed in selling springtime in a bottle. When entering Osterhaus Brewery and Taste Hall, visitors are greeted with pleasant aromas of lavender and honey. Wall signage pays tribute to painted advertisements found on Chicago's brick building exteriors.
The Osterhaus Brothers Brewery is unlike any other in the world, with flavors and specials served only in its brick and mortar store. Osterhaus allows customers to experience the ingenuity of Willhelm and Konrad summer to fall, fall to winter, and winter to spring.
Osterhaus Brothers Brewing Company has a deep pride in serving new customers its first brew. Whether a newcomer or a longtime friend, Ost is a brand you can toast to, time and time again.
​
Cheers!
ARTIST BIO
​
A recent graduate from Furman University, in Greenville, South Carolina, Tucker McKillop majored in Digital Media: Applied Arts, Sciences, and Design focusing his attention on the applicative ways technology can benefit artistic expression.
​
Prior to graduation, Tucker has had the opportunity to work with and design for some of the world's largest clients including but not limited to American Eagle, Bank of America, Ernst & Young (EY), Home Depot, Harley-Davidson, Merrill Lynch, T. Rowe Price, Universal Studios Orlando, WD-40, and Wagner Equipment.
​
​