SHA Helps KAIJU! Brand Roar
“I think it’s absolutely true that you consume with your eyes first,” says KAIJU! Beer co-founder Callum Reeves. And hey, if you’re a guy who named his beer company a Japanese word (怪獣) that literally means “strange beast,” we’re going to assume you know a thing or two about consuming.
That’s why we’re so monstrously thrilled to hear about the successful collaboration between KAIJU! and stalwart SHA Illustrator Mikey Burton. “With the amazing designs Mikey has created,” reports Mr. Reeves, “people are already enjoying our beers and cider when they first lay eyes on the can.”
This flourishing Australian purveyor of brews such as “Diatamatic Hopzilla,” “Cthulhu,” and “Hopped Out Red” has relied on Mikey’s talents for more than a decade. He’s become their go-to guy for branding and label design, and that Burton-esque vibe definitely infiltrates their space as well. (See pictures for proof.)
But it’s not surprising that Mikey can do it all. “I see myself as more ‘designy’ than as ‘illustrator,’” says Burton, who’s been on the SHA roster since 2011. And throughout his esteemed tenure, he has resolved to come into projects ready to get his hands dirty – providing the client with whatever they need… or might need in the future. (Say, a hat. Or a shirt. Or a wall. And so forth.)
Far from a pinky-extended “art-eest,” Mikey’s more of an artisan: One who uses his hands to make something functional, something useful. “They (the clients) do the talkin’,” he reports. “I do the walkin’.”
Burton’s presentation designs for the Kaiju Golden Axe Apple Cider can.
He goes on: “I was in college already when I decided I didn’t want to be a ‘starving artist.’ I wanted to make a living. In the end, what I really care about is getting to work as much as possible, with as many really cool clients as possible.” This one certainly qualifies.
In discussing his process, Burton notes that it always starts with drawing and sketching – as in actual paper and ink or pencil. It’s only after this key origin that he moves to the computer and digital realm to finalize. There, he’s able to make minor tweaks that prepare his files for their wow-worthy destinies. And the results are decidedly worthy of toasting: “It’s hard to overstate the impact that Mikey’s designs have had on our business,” reports the KAIJU! client. “The stuff is just amazing.” And remember, that remark about overstatement is coming from a company that spells their name in all caps.
KAIJU! goes on to say that much of the delight of working with Mikey is, indeed, that particularly “collaborative” process. “It becomes an easy exchange of ideas,” concludes Mr. Callum. “And it results in what I believe is one of the most exciting and fun beer brands around.”
