Three childhood friends had one grand vision – to unite their passion for craft beer to create a new kind of brewery, one that was a true anchor of the community and a catalyst for progress. Despite the space’s small footprint, they had big ambitions for their first location: a taproom and nano-brewery to serve their own brews alongside 20+ guest beers on tap, beer cocktails, wine, and snacks.

Armed with our clients’ vision, we had the opportunity to create this brand and hospitality experience from the ground up. After establishing the brand’s mission — to foster better communities inspired and empowered by the brewing, consuming, and culture of beer — we landed on the name Protagonist. We developed a fun, language-based visual identity with a cryptic “secret code” and designed a one-of-a-kind taproom experience (complete with local snacks and beer cocktails) at the Protagonist Clubhouse in Charlotte, North Carolina.