“The original concept of the smiley face for Be Hoppy was the inspiration behind the brand refresh. This beer already had the attention of our customers, so this seemed like the natural progression,” said Dan Marc-Aurele, senior graphic designer at Wormtown, in a statement. “Be Hoppy is known for its smiley face, so we made that smiley face the focal point of the design. Now, if you’re looking for ‘the beer with the smiley face,’ it’s that much easier to find.”

Misty Campbell, regional sales and chain account manager for Wormtown, added: “We were incredibly pleased with Be Fearless & Be Smooth’s trial performance in the IPA Variety Packs last year and listened to customer feedback calling for their consistent availability. The refreshed packaging is clean and calls out the style, ABV and brewery name in large print. Wormtown has become synonymous with the smiley face and assigning each beer their own version gives the core lineup a cohesive look.”

Wormtown’s marketing team took the success of the “Be You” Variety Packs as inspiration for the new look and performed a deep dive into the brewery’s brand identity, target audience and branding goals.

“After a lot of exploration, we narrowed it down to three areas of focus for the brewery’s mission, which turned into a mantra we use internally: ‘your day, your sip, your smile.’” says Avanah Weix, brand strategist for Wormtown, in statement. “These missions are accomplished through thoughtful beer names, expressive smiley faces, and making the style of the beer larger on the front of the can. Additionally, the new cans have QR codes that bring you detailed information about the beer. In an effort to be more connected to our community, we launched the Be Here campaign on the side of all our beer cans. This encourages people to take photos of where they are drinking their beer to be shared on social media.”

Wormtown’s new look and new beers can be found at liquor stores, bars and restaurants across their New England footprint. The brewery also is releasing refreshed looks for their seasonal lineup, which will include another new beer, Beach Fix, which is a kolsch summer ale. Additionally, their local releases, collaborative brews, and specialty beers will all be adopting an upgraded look as they are released throughout the year.