Role: Illustrator
Client: Untappd
Project: "Drink Empowerment" beer glass illustration
Untappd, a social media platform for beer enthusiasts, wanted to create a series of beer glass labels aligned with four themes: Drink Pride, Drink Equality, Drink Empowerment, and Drink Justice. After an initial conversation and proposal, they selected me to design the Drink Empowerment label, which centered on uplifting women in our quest to have our voices heard and respected as equals.
Final illustration in environment
Closeup of the final illustration, complete with the Untappd logo
The Process:
I wanted to avoid traditional or stereotypical portrayals of womanhood and femininity, so I initially proposed three concepts that focused on alternative ideas of feminine energy and historical instances of women seizing opportunities and empowering themselves.
Initial proposal outlines and rough illustrations below:
The clients loved the Divine Feminine and Lunar Goddesses idea, and from there, the final concept was born — the Goddesses of Beer. We found three goddesses from different regions and mythologies who have ties to beer and/or brewing. At this stage, I aimed to balance feminine strength with symbolism for the goddesses and for beer / brewing.
Three options for the Goddesses of Beer below:
The client preferred Option 3,  and thus was born the final illustration.​​​​​​​
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​​​​​​​The Goddesses of Beer:
• Ninkasi — Sumerian goddess of beer and brewing. Portrayed with curly hair, a crown, and flowers in her hair to allude to her Sumerian roots
• Mbaba Mwana Waresa — Zulu fertility goddess who rules over rainbows, agriculture, harvests, rain, and beer. Portrayed with a traditional Zulu head wrap
• St. Brigid — Celtic goddess who is reputed to turn water into beer. Portrayed in a cloak, which references the nun’s habit she is sometimes depicted to be wearing
Above each of the goddesses’ heads is a circular symbol for that goddess. Above Mbaba – a rainbow; above Ninkasi – hops; above St. Brigid – a halo.
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