Chicago agency Tom, Dick & Harry Creative Co. (TDH) is proud to announce the launch of two craft beers to celebrate their twentieth anniversary. TDH partnered with Dan Abel, co-founder of Chicago’s craft-focused brewery incubator, Pilot Project Brewing, to create beer that gets to the heart of the creative process: one to honor the ideation phase and the second to celebrate a great idea. TDH produced 60 cases in its first limited-edition run.
When their creative team was tasked with generating ideas to mark the occasion, they came up with… nothin’. But also… somethin’. So, they brewed and launched two craft beers: one called I Got Nothin’ and one called I Got Somethin’. Together, these two beers capture TDH’s brand essence, while also celebrating the highs and lows of the creative process. That’s reflected in each beer’s recipe, but also in their label designs.
“After getting to know what Tom, Dick & Harry was all about, we knew their beers would need to have a chill, unpretentious vibe,” Abel said. “But they also had to somehow reflect an obsessive approach to the details to really be a good reflection of the place.”
Both beers boast interactive labels. I Got Nothin’, a pilsner for when you need inspiration, is made up almost entirely of whitespace waiting to be filled. The label for I Got Somethin’, a beer to celebrate creative accomplishment, is rich with details like unicorns, rainbows and paratroopers suspended by parachutes made from balled-up paper. The two beers come packaged as a pair along with an assortment of sharpies. After all, a doodle-able label needs something you can doodle with.
The beers debuted recently at TDH’s 20th anniversary party. During the event, where more than 100 past and present employees attended, TDH premiered a :30 video they created to launch the beers. Reminiscent of doodles in a notebook, it uses simple stop-motion animations of hand-drawn type and illustrations to capture the ping-ponging cycle of self-flagellation and self-congratulation that creatives know all too well.
“We’ve spent enough time working on beer brands to appreciate the value of a simple bar call,” said Greg Reifel, TDH managing partner. “The beers are available at our office, and friends, family and clients are welcome to stop in and share a beer.”
TDH looks forward to a second production run of both brews and continuing with their social campaign, in which they share key bits of wisdom they’ve learned over two decades in business.