Shaketown

Integrated Award Winner – New Brand

Very Polite Agency

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The founder of a new brewery in North Vancouver approached Very Polite for a brand identity. He had a simple brief: call it Shaketown, an homage to the once quaint and developing settlement now known as nearby Lynn Valley. Very Polite searched historical archives and libraries for any information about Shaketown, only to find second-handstories and half-truths. Instead of abandoning the name or erasing Shaketown’s history, they leaned into hearsay and imagined 127 years of fictional places, people and history.

With the foundational story established, the citizens and stories of Shaketown came to life through narratives and portrait illustrations that appear on packaging, social and experiential touchpoints. They invented local businesses and industry, creating over 150 logos for a place with barely a mention in the history books. Shaketown’s expansive history and universe turn every touchpoint into an opportunity for brand storytelling. In the brewery, guests can discover electrical units installed by “Shaketown Electric Company” or take a “Shakey’s Watch Repair” business card from the community board. Shaketown Brewing became a living history that locals wanted to be a part of, going on to invent their own run clubs and karaoke nights that expand and enrich Shaketown’s world.