Project Overview
Y’alloha was created as a collision of cultures: Houston meets Hawaii, wrapped up in a blonde ale that is as bold as it is playful. The name blends “Y’all,” a nod to southern hospitality, with “Aloha,” the Hawaiian word of welcome, setting the stage for a recipe built around tropical fruits like pineapple and mango. The result is a beer that feels both rooted in BuffBrew’s hometown personality and lifted by the carefree vibes of island living.
Services Rendered:
Product Development
Art Direction
Illustration
Graphic Design
Package Design
Marketing Strategy
The biggest problem to solve was creating a visual representation of the name. What brings a Texas vacation and Hawaiian getaway to mind? What icons scream “Aloha” and “howdy” to a customer while ensuring the BuffBrew aesthetic and iconography was prevalent?
The design leaned fully into that cultural mashup. The wordmark is angular but warped in a wavy rhythm, giving the logo an energy that feels alive, as if rippling across the surface of the ocean. At the center of the artwork, a buffalo-shaped volcano erupts in pillowy clouds: a playful nod to both tropical skies and the frothy head of a freshly poured pint. Scattered across the island, pineapples and mangos highlight the core flavors of the beer, while one of the most iconic elements—a shirtless cowboy riding a dolphin rodeo-style—ties the brand unmistakably back to Houston’s irreverent, larger-than-life personality.
When you bang out a winner, you usually get asked to catch that lightning in a bottle (or can) again. This design was the result of three earlier iterations of Y’alloha in different formats that needed to be brought under the new brand standards I developed for BuffBrew’s core packages. The final system extended across packaging, multipacks, and retail assets; it was designed to stand out in every environment. Bold illustrations and vibrant color made it impossible to miss on crowded shelves, while the humor and surreal imagery created instant conversation-starters in taprooms, bars, and at events. The design system was not just about labeling a product; it built a visual world that matched the recipe’s playful collision of cultures.
In the end, Y’alloha captured what BuffBrew does best: pushing past category conventions to create beers that are equal parts inventive, unpretentious, and deeply tied to Houston culture. With its sunny palette, whimsical art direction, and tropical-southern fusion, Y’alloha became more than just a blonde ale. It became a badge for BuffBrew fans who embrace creativity, fun, and flavor without limits.