Lagunitas
Reviving an unapologetically indy attitude to regain ground in a saturated category
01
Challenge
Lagunitas, one of the original darlings of craft beer, was acquired by Heineken in 2017. An ensuing packaging update across their full portfolio reinforced the new corporate shine on this formerly scrappy, independent brand. Along with flagging beer consumption across the industry, the loss of credibility among their biggest fans was dragging down their overall sales.
02
Insight
We knew our key audience of 21-34-year-old consumers are highly connected online, but crave IRL connections and are drawn to brands that make them feel welcome, no matter who they are. We needed to show that Lagunitas was still who it had always been: a rag-tag, irreverent brand that throws a friendly middle finger at convention. A brand where everyone is part of the pack.
03
approach
We redesigned the full portfolio – including their iconic IPA and other core line beers, their non-alc Hoppy Refresher, and limited time seasonal offerings – with nods to the undone look from Lagunitas’ early days. We created an IPA-focused campaign to further reflect the I-am-who-I-am nature of our core consumers and show how Lagunitas is just like them: good-natured, unapologetically authentic and open to all.
A transformation
| From: | To: |
|---|---|
| Corporate | Craft |
| Telling you how to have fun | Following your lead |
| Edited | Unleashed |
RESULTS
Lagnunitas outpaced total U.S. beer sales in 2025 and increased their share in the craft category by 1%, even while the category as a whole saw a decline of 5% in sales. The new packaging and campaign grew strong purchase intent, +220% over category benchmarks.
Our charge is to reinvigorate the brand, to bring back the confidence and the personality that once made [Lagunitas] relevant and famous. Our partnership with Little has been a collective labor of love as we both share the passion and thirst for reviving our iconic flagship Lagunitas IPA.
