I Heart Brooklyn
Volume 08
Nicholas Dawes
Words
Various
Photography
In 1986, Brooklyn Brewery founder Steven Hindy was on the hunt for a designer to create an identity for his fledgling business. After interviewing more than thirty firms however, he grew increasingly frustrated by their lack of original thought; “None of them were telling me anything. Instead, they were trying to sell me with flattery,” he recalls. “My wife said, ‘why not call the best in New York?’” So Hindy rang the office of Milton Glaser, a renowned designer, whose work includes the “I ♥ NY” logo and slogan, founding the New York magazine, and that Bob Dylan poster. It would mark the beginning of a thirty-year long partnership – and personal friendship – that continues to this day.
In an increasingly saturated market, the struggle for brands to make an impression is more difficult than ever. To keep pace with modern society – where consumer trends are ever changing and brand loyalty is fleeting – companies will hire of-the-minute agencies to refresh their visual identity in a bid to stay relevant. That Brooklyn and Glaser have been collaborating for longer than many brands have been around – let alone worked with a single agency – is a rarity. We spoke to Glaser and Hindy about their partnership; how it began, how it’s evolved, and their secret to an enduring friendship.
In an increasingly saturated market, the struggle for brands to make an impression is more difficult than ever. To keep pace with modern society – where consumer trends are ever changing and brand loyalty is fleeting – companies will hire of-the-minute agencies to refresh their visual identity in a bid to stay relevant. That Brooklyn and Glaser have been collaborating for longer than many brands have been around – let alone worked with a single agency – is a rarity. We spoke to Glaser and Hindy about their partnership; how it began, how it’s evolved, and their secret to an enduring friendship.
— That Brooklyn and Glaser have been collaborating for longer than many brands have been around – let alone worked with a single agency – is a rarity.
In 1984, Hindy ended a five and a half-year tour as Middle East Correspondent for the Associated Press. During his time there, he befriended diplomats based in Saudi Arabia who, faced with the prohibition on alcoholic beverages, turned to homebrewing to quench their thirst. After returning to New York and inspired by this experience, Hindy began brewing in his apartment, eventually enlisting the help of his neighbour, Tom Potter, to establish Brooklyn Brewery.
As a reporter, Hindy wasn’t afraid to cold call Glaser’s studio, but more than met his match in Glaser’s assistant, Eva. “It was more like a challenge when she told me he did not talk to everyone who called his studio,” he tells us. “I was determined to get to meet him, the same way I would not give up when a government official or politician tried to stonewall me. The rejection brought out the reporter in me. I was going to meet this guy, dammit.” His persistence paid off, and after months of repeated phone calls to the studio, Glaser agreed to a five minute meeting with the intrepid entrepreneurs.
Hindy and Potter were intent on building a brewery which would pay homage to the rich history of the borough – the name, Brooklyn Eagle Brewery, even referenced the venerable Brooklyn Eagle newspaper which ceased production in 1955. “Why don't you eliminate the eagle and take the borough,” Glaser told Hindy on hearing their proposal. “The borough will ultimately be a lot more valuable than the bird will be.” This wasn’t a popular view in the mid 1980’s, a time when the borough was considered a symbol of crime and urban decay. But both Glaser and Hindy identified that something was happening in Brooklyn, and they wanted to be part of it.
As a reporter, Hindy wasn’t afraid to cold call Glaser’s studio, but more than met his match in Glaser’s assistant, Eva. “It was more like a challenge when she told me he did not talk to everyone who called his studio,” he tells us. “I was determined to get to meet him, the same way I would not give up when a government official or politician tried to stonewall me. The rejection brought out the reporter in me. I was going to meet this guy, dammit.” His persistence paid off, and after months of repeated phone calls to the studio, Glaser agreed to a five minute meeting with the intrepid entrepreneurs.
Hindy and Potter were intent on building a brewery which would pay homage to the rich history of the borough – the name, Brooklyn Eagle Brewery, even referenced the venerable Brooklyn Eagle newspaper which ceased production in 1955. “Why don't you eliminate the eagle and take the borough,” Glaser told Hindy on hearing their proposal. “The borough will ultimately be a lot more valuable than the bird will be.” This wasn’t a popular view in the mid 1980’s, a time when the borough was considered a symbol of crime and urban decay. But both Glaser and Hindy identified that something was happening in Brooklyn, and they wanted to be part of it.
— The relationship which is ideal, when you can find it, is one of ‘lets doing something together’. Our relationship was one of optimism, and good will, and we just did it.
This club is about more than exceptional feats of physical endurance, however. It’s also about camaraderie, and – very importantly – enjoying great beer together. And I’m here to figure out how relaxing after a race with a great pint fits in alongside the many running hours and miles these folks put in every week.
“It’s funny because everyone assumes it’s a ‘thing’,” Jon says, attempting to play down the club’s significance. “It [started out as] a WhatsApp group. Originally it was set up to organise a beer to celebrate or commiserate getting in (or not) to the UTMB races we entered – it spiralled from there really.”
Despite Jon playing down the club’s significance, it definitely feels like more than simply a bunch of mates who enjoy a run and a beer together. They’ve got their own merch, for example, along with their own running club on popular fitness app Strava, which allows members to easily compare times and distances.
“It’s funny because everyone assumes it’s a ‘thing’,” Jon says, attempting to play down the club’s significance. “It [started out as] a WhatsApp group. Originally it was set up to organise a beer to celebrate or commiserate getting in (or not) to the UTMB races we entered – it spiralled from there really.”
Despite Jon playing down the club’s significance, it definitely feels like more than simply a bunch of mates who enjoy a run and a beer together. They’ve got their own merch, for example, along with their own running club on popular fitness app Strava, which allows members to easily compare times and distances.
The design was informed by traditional German beer labels, a conscious move by Glaser to give the fledgling brand a sense of authenticity – the bold yet approachable identity stood apart from the typically homespun visuals of other breweries at the time.
With a Milton Glaser-designed logo on the cover of their business plan, Hindy and Potter were able to raise $500,000 to get their business up and running. Glaser’s relationship with the brewery went far beyond that of a designer however; his blunt yet honest approach clearly resonated with Hindy, and over the years has become a trusted adviser and friend.
Glaser credits some of his most successful work down to the commonality and affection he shares with the client: “That has always been the key element with everything I’ve ever done. If I like the person – and have a direct relationship with them – I found the work came out better than if it was a business relationship. Some of the great work of our time, came out of personal relationships between individual designers and their clients, like George Nelson and Herman Miller. They have the same agenda, which is the success of the organism and idea of excellence.
With a Milton Glaser-designed logo on the cover of their business plan, Hindy and Potter were able to raise $500,000 to get their business up and running. Glaser’s relationship with the brewery went far beyond that of a designer however; his blunt yet honest approach clearly resonated with Hindy, and over the years has become a trusted adviser and friend.
Glaser credits some of his most successful work down to the commonality and affection he shares with the client: “That has always been the key element with everything I’ve ever done. If I like the person – and have a direct relationship with them – I found the work came out better than if it was a business relationship. Some of the great work of our time, came out of personal relationships between individual designers and their clients, like George Nelson and Herman Miller. They have the same agenda, which is the success of the organism and idea of excellence.
— Glaser’s relationship with the brewery went far beyond that of a designer however; his blunt yet honest approach clearly resonated with Hindy, and over the years has become a trusted adviser and friend.
“Everyone knows how good the first sip of beer tastes after a long day at work. It’s the same after running, or any physical activity really,” Jon says. “A post-run shower beer might even be one of the greatest things life can offer you.”
But this group isn’t content to settle for mass-produced lagers in that adrenaline-rich moment. Like any appreciator of good beer, they feel it has to be something worth drinking. They speak with great fondness of Beavertown’s Gamma Ray pale ale for example – a beer that indicates to the group “a pub that’s probably worth going to.” One of the group, James Brewster, is even named after a brewery; somehow acquiring the nickname “BrewDog” although they won’t tell me how this came to pass...
“Actually, they’re named after him,” Leo quips.
“Howling Hops in Hackney Wick is another favourite haunt of ours,” Jon interrupts. “We love drinking anything from them, usually escalating towards something ridiculous towards the end of the night.”
After our collective efforts in Victoria Park, it’s only a short hop over the A12 footbridge into Hackney Wick and all the fabulous beer locations it offers, from group favourite Howling Hops to the Beer Merchants tap. However, on this occasion, it’s copious amounts of pizza that the runners require for their recovery, and so we head towards the Crate Brewery taproom to grab a few pints of IPA.
But this group isn’t content to settle for mass-produced lagers in that adrenaline-rich moment. Like any appreciator of good beer, they feel it has to be something worth drinking. They speak with great fondness of Beavertown’s Gamma Ray pale ale for example – a beer that indicates to the group “a pub that’s probably worth going to.” One of the group, James Brewster, is even named after a brewery; somehow acquiring the nickname “BrewDog” although they won’t tell me how this came to pass...
“Actually, they’re named after him,” Leo quips.
“Howling Hops in Hackney Wick is another favourite haunt of ours,” Jon interrupts. “We love drinking anything from them, usually escalating towards something ridiculous towards the end of the night.”
After our collective efforts in Victoria Park, it’s only a short hop over the A12 footbridge into Hackney Wick and all the fabulous beer locations it offers, from group favourite Howling Hops to the Beer Merchants tap. However, on this occasion, it’s copious amounts of pizza that the runners require for their recovery, and so we head towards the Crate Brewery taproom to grab a few pints of IPA.
— That they’ve continued to work together for more than thirty years demonstrates Hindy’s faith in Glaser’s expertise, who at eighty-seven, can still cut it amongst the new crowd. “I know what I’m doing,” Glaser claims, confidently.
“Milton has become a friend and an important adviser and mentor to me. Over the years, many artists, designers and marketing people have tried to get me to change our direction. But Milton has taught me the importance of staying true to our Brooklyn brand, and giving meaning to that brand by supporting not-for-profit organisations and arts organisations – not just saying you support the community of Brooklyn, but doing it.”
To this day, Milton and Hindy have lunch together almost weekly. The success of Brooklyn’s brand is down to this close relationship and their shared vision for the brewery. That they’ve continued to work together for more than thirty years demonstrates Hindy’s faith in Glaser’s expertise, who at eighty-seven, can still cut it amongst the new crowd. “I know what I’m doing,” Glaser claims, confidently.
To this day, Milton and Hindy have lunch together almost weekly. The success of Brooklyn’s brand is down to this close relationship and their shared vision for the brewery. That they’ve continued to work together for more than thirty years demonstrates Hindy’s faith in Glaser’s expertise, who at eighty-seven, can still cut it amongst the new crowd. “I know what I’m doing,” Glaser claims, confidently.
Article taken from
Volume 08
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