Beavertown ring a bell? Think tasty brews, bold vibes, and illustrations that ooze creativity. This is brand illustration at its best. From branding to campaigns, packaging to merch, even down to their otherworldly beer glasses – illustration is a thread through everything. The backbone of the brand. The reason they’re the most stolen pint glass in the UK. They truly live up to their ethos of ‘thinking like a band, not a brand’.

Nick Dwyer (Creative Director of Beavertown Brewery) started illustrating for the brand soon after it was founded. He crafted their psychedelic out-of-this-world illustration style out of pure chaos, using spaceships, skulls and unearthly creatures. At the time of their launch over a decade ago, using illustration in this way for a craft beer brand was unheard of. Now they’re all at it.

Fast forward to 2024, the brand has launched its first-ever small-screen ad, brilliantly bottling those classic pub moments, told by their iconic illustrated characters. So bold in its approach, they don’t even show product photography. They pull it off thanks to an unmistakable identity built through their distinctive illustration style. While brands tend to rely on fonts, colours and product photography, it’s undeniable that illustration brings that added piece of ownable magic.

Artificial Intelligence. There’s no denying it has its uses, but will it replace us? Originality. Ideas. Craft. These are the things that make us creatives tick. AI may be fast. But when it pulls from existing work, rehashes old ideas, skips exploration and jumps straight to the final outcome, can it ever be truly original?

Rob Lowe (also known as Supermundane) is an artist, illustrator and writer, his distinctive bold, geometric work is packed with multi-layered philosophical themes. Being in the industry for more than 25 years he shared his views on the Future of AI in design in Slanted Magazine, A Magazine for Visual Inventors, Issue #17:

“We are all emotional creatures. A few lines on a piece of paper are meaningless until someone looks at it and it makes them feel something. It’s the recognition of those feelings that can be used to create something new. I don’t think AI will be able to recognise the beauty in chance or mistakes and this is often how we develop and change.”

This is why humans win at originality. Creatives thrive on those unexpected “happy accidents” that often spark the best ideas. When we let our emotions and quirks drive the process, we end up crafting authentic and bespoke outcomes for brands, that AI just can’t predict.

Don’t get us wrong, AI’s a pretty brilliant sidekick for the creative industry. It’s great for research, sketching out ideas, or backing up your thinking. But when it comes to delivering that final touch—the one that truly tugs at the heartstrings—generative AI just can’t match the spark humans bring.

Craving more illustration chat? Good news—we’re not done. We’ve tapped into our studio’s collective brain for illustrator artists that inspire us. So whether you’re into nostalgic book illustrations, whimsical woodland creatures, moody gothic surrealism or cute smiley-faced food… we’ve got something for everyone! Starting from the top left corner in the order shown were shouting out the following illustrators: @thepapercreative, @nick.sharratt, @justlikeliz_illustration, @ill__tempered, @mr_bingstagram, @malen.pazos, @lisamaltbystudio, @kellyannalondon, @jessiewsart

Shameless award-win announcement incoming!

Following our first-ever Creativepool Annual awards entry. We’re excited to announce that we have been awarded Independent Agency of the Year! For the 11th year running, this annual awards event was all about celebrating the creative elite, showcasing a stellar shortlist featuring the finest talent from agencies, brands, and brilliant minds worldwide.

We’re still on cloud nine from our amazing win. We want to take this opportunity to thank our clients, for trusting us, giving us the opportunity to do what we love, push creative boundaries, and do award-winning work.

Alright, enough humblebragging… for now.

Hungry for more illustration? This week’s case study is a feast of custom brand illustration. Chapter One, a bold new brand name for the former IFG Independent, is the new kid on the block in the Independent school contract catering sector, helping schools rewrite their food story, their way.

The brand is built around bespoke illustrations, inspired by the business’s offerings. Never literal, the final conceptual illustrations weave visual storytelling into every brand touchpoint, feeding imaginations and elevating brand messaging with subtle details and hidden meanings. Click the link below to check out the full case study.