Mash & Brew is a Craft Brewery which is built within a fully functional Arcade reminisce of 80's and 90's Pop-Culture and style.
Mash & Brew was created after recognizing a need for a socially acceptable atmosphere for video gamers to interact and engage outside of their comfort zones. The concept and brand Mash & Brew is the product of a series of events, research, and project development over Gonzalo’s senior year of college.
Gonzalo has dealt with personal anxiety and social development issues since his childhood. He has used video games as a place for both solace and stress release to escape the issues in his everyday life. Playing games with friends in person, rather than just online, and taking the first steps to trying new experiences has helped him come out of his shell and develop into the social person he is today. Mash & Brew is a place for people like Gonzalo to break out of their routines, take comfort in the games they love, and try a few beers with new friends.
Our Clients
The Silent Gamer
The Crushable Craft Crusader
The Life of the Party
Mash & Brew promotional material
Unique Value
Mash & Brew is a unique solution to the problem of bringing adult gamers aged 21 and over out of their homes breaking free from their social anxiety and enjoying a fresh beer. The new brews will draw craft beer enthusiasts and bring them together with video game players to form new friendships in a relaxing and judgement free environment.
COMPETITION
No other business out there right now provides this specific type of entertainment and socially accepting environment. Mash & Brew is a unique solution to the problem of bringing gamers out of their homes while breaking free from their social anxiety and enjoying a fresh beer. There are several similar businesses that provide arcade and video games as entertainment or a space to fresh enjoy craft beer, but no space allows for both simultaneously.
Barcade
The primary competitor business to Mash & Brew is a small chain of arcade bars called Barcade located in New York City. At Barcade, one could sit and enjoy a brew from their extensive beer list at the bar or play one of dozens of classic stand-up arcade machines. While this establishment may have similar features to Mash & Brew, there is one very distinct difference between the two establishments.
Barcade does not produce their own beverages on site. They focus more on importing beers from breweries across New York and in the general New England area.
Dave & Buster's
Mash & Brew does face competition from the large family style gaming business with bars and restaurants inside of them. There are a few of these chains in the New York area, but for the purposes of this assignment, Dave & Buster’s will be used as a more specific example. Dave & Buster’s is a large facility that hosts adults and their families who are looking to play games, have fun, and eat a meal together. They also hold birthday parties and corporate events for visitors looking to gather and celebrate a special occasion together with games, drinks, and food.
Cultural Relevance
In order for Mash & Brew to be a successful business enterprise, Mash & Brew had to define the culture they are targeting. They did this by interviewing many young adults at least 21 years of age that would be considered ideal customers of Mash & Brew. These individuals were found online through Google Surveys, social media posts, at gaming conventions, at breweries, and even at local bars across Long Island. All of the responses were considered as to how they could help cultivate the environment Mash & Brew is meant to embody.
Questions during the interview process ranged from what a potential customer likes to do for fun, to how far they would be willing to travel to find a new hang out, and even asked if they ever felt uncomfortable going out because of social anxiety. Finding about how potential customers prefer to spend their time would allow Mash & Brew to create an accepting environment in the community for everyone and create events that would attract a regular crowd.
I haven’t tried craft beer but if given the opportunity I would. I enjoy arcade games, they have a special place in my heart.
I would like to be able to visit a place like that where there are arcade games but its more geared towards adults then kids and the video game theme definitely makes it special.
Dave & Buster’s are for kids and parents. I have visited arcades. I would definitely see myself going to a place that themed after video games which also produces their own brand of craft beer and would travel to get there.
Concept to Visual Toolkit
The logo for Mash & Brew was created to mimic the bright and attractive neon lights of a classic 80’s arcade. The soft glow around the edges is also reminiscent to neon signs seen in bars and restaurants from those times as well. The look is a modern take on old school style. The original logos have evolved tremendously since their creation, working from an enclosed box style look to the more dynamic final version seen now.
Color variations for black and white purposes do not need to use the glow effect seen in the color versions. This slight variation is still consistent with the overall branding style, but creates a much cleaner look for specific printing and legibility purposes.