Both label designs take inspiration from events which took place in Ottawa that play an important part in Canada’s LGBTQ history. Rally IPA is based around Canada’s first gay rights protest at Parliament Hill in 1971, while Picnic Pilsner centres Ottawa’s first pride picnic held in 1986. A lot of research was put into this project to ensure that the labels would accurately represent and celebrate these important historical events in a visually interesting way. The colour palettes and imagery in each design pull elements from details of the events and styles of their given eras. In the initial sketches, the label titles were at the bottom of the cans, though the client provided helpful input that they wouldn’t be visible in crates in stores, so the designs were adjusted to solve this issue.

The two final labels strike a balance between telling important and little-known stories about Ottawa’s history while highlighting elements of community and diversity that Dominion City’s audience values. The client was happy with the changes that were made to the labels to help them better stand out to consumers in stores. Working on this project was rewarding as it let me tell the unrecognized story of Canada’s LGBT history, so with more time and resources I would love to develop more promotional material to further highlight these events.