Menu
Our relationship with Cedar Ridge owner and master distiller Jeff Quint goes back over a decade. It began with a conversation on a bare hilltop lined by cedar trees and talk of a wild idea. It’s since grown into a diverse business including a winery, distillery, restaurant, and events center. The process of branding the operation has been iterative, for sure. But with every adaptation comes a tighter and tighter version of themselves.
Cedar Ridge’s brand is built upon authenticity. Everything they do is reflective of Iowa’s people, land and climate. And there is no better place for this to be fully realized than at the headquarters in Swisher, Iowa.
Much in the way Mother Nature influences the Cedar Ridge products, the colors of nature guide the brand’s color selections. A bold red and an extended palette draws inspiration from the grounds of the estate.
A primary typeface is used in the master brand logo. Then, a series of complementary secondary fonts were introduced to allow each business unit – venue, winery, and distillery – to have its own identifiable typeface.
The brand’s values are brought to life in the small details, be it the family crest making an appearance in packaging and bottle design to the founder’s signature on labels of the brand’s flagship bourbon. When working in concert, these visual elements, banners and textures create a cohesive, memorable whole.
Guests enter the restaurant and event center through the Cedar Ridge store. FUEL helped design an inviting space that sells wine, spirits, and a selection of Cedar Ridge merchandise. Whether you’re dining, catching a show, or celebrating an event, the space sets the stage for what’s to come and encourages purchase.
Consistency can be a challenge when business lines are so varied. FUEL helped the client establish order by utilizing an ownable color with each of the three parts of the operation – Wine, Spirits, and a third devoted to the grounds: Vineyards, Winery, & Distillery. This allowed each piece to stand on its own but work cohesively when brought together.
Bill Bollman is FUEL’s Creative Director. Before co-founding FUEL in 2001, he worked for Horizon Communications, JW Morton and Basler Design Group. Bill studied Illustration at Hawkeye Tech in Waterloo, Iowa. An expert in the “old ways” of hands-on print production, these skills influence his work in the digital world to this day. His work throughout his career has been featured in international publications including Graphis, How International Design, Communication Arts, and The One Book as well as numerous design annuals and reference books.
