Redhook Brewery

Work Makes Thirst

Media

Advertising

Analytics

Brand Strategy

Rebuilding a Brand for the Next Generation of Thirst

Redhook, Washington’s original craft beer pioneer, came to Catalysis to realign its brand for a new era. Once a trailblazer in the craft beer space, Redhook was navigating a shifting marketplace, new ownership (Tilray Beverages), growing internal product divide, and evolving customer expectations. Our job was to dig into Redhook’s legacy and uncover a unifying message that could speak to both longtime loyalists and emerging audiences, ultimately delivering a brand platform built to bridge the past and future of Redhook.

Data

To better understand the brand’s disconnect—and where opportunity lived—we started with in-depth stakeholder interviews and competitive landscape analysis. We reviewed six internal research reports and mapped the positioning of regional and national beer competitors, focusing on messaging, packaging innovation, pricing strategy, and lifestyle alignment.

From there, we launched a 15-minute quantitative survey that reached over 400 Washington-based craft beer drinkers, gathering insights on behaviors, brand recognition, and perceptions of Redhook’s two main product lines: classic beers like the iconic ESB and Long Hammer IPA, and the newer Big Ballard Imperial IPA family of higher-ABV offerings.

To go deeper, we conducted six focus groups across different Redhook audience segments. These sessions surfaced valuable lifestyle narratives and drinking occasions—from garage builds to game days—and gave us a grounded, emotional lens on Redhook’s place in PNW culture.

Creative

The insights were clear: In a city overtaken by tech startups and IPA overload, there’s a blue-collar spirit alive and well, one that values real, hardworking, hands-on experiences, even if that’s only in your backyard on weekends. Redhook’s legacy wasn’t a liability; it was a differentiator.

We developed a new brand mantra and platform: “Work Makes Thirst”—a rallying cry for the builders, grinders, makers, and doers. It’s more than a tagline. It’s a cultural stake in the ground that honors Redhook’s pioneering role and reclaims its identity as the beer for people who earn their end-of-day cold reward.

Catalysis delivered a comprehensive positioning guide, updated brand pillars, consumer profiles, and message maps tailored to both the Classic and Big Ballard lines, as well as new beer releases such as Redhook ’81 Light Lager. We also provided campaign creative concepts and executions that brought the platform and this new beer to life across digital, social, and retail.

Results

The Redhook team responded with enthusiasm, seeing this work as the most aligned brand direction in years. While external rollout is still underway, Catalysis delivered:

A full qualitative and quantitative research report

Finalized brand positioning, messaging framework and brand platform
A clear pathway to unifying the Classic and Big Ballard lines under one compelling brand voice, while setting a course for new releases and brand activations
Launch campaign for “Work Makes Thirst” featuring Redhook ’81 Lager
Ongoing social media support and activation ideas for 2026

The initial focus groups were a highlight, with participants bringing beers to the sessions, proudly repping Redhook while swapping stories of the old Woodinville brewery and sharing what beer means to them today. During concept presentations, Redhook’s sales team lit up. The “Work Makes Thirst” concept resonated instantly, praised for honoring the brand’s roots while feeling fresh and relevant.