Åska Lår Brew Co.

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015

Åska Lår Brew Co.

Chloe Mark

Concordia University, United States

Social Impact - Photography / Print / Illustration / Graphic

Category Semifinalist

Through branding you can give an organization “the inclination to do better or be better” and you provide them with a “better understanding of themselves” to empower them to move forward with direction. “Design at its best is when it’s generous. When it goes beyond its normal constraints of design to really help people.”

Mike Rigby, Design Matters

Prompt

Create an identity and brand strategy from the ground up, which serves a social cause through the medium of design. This cause should be rooted in something deeply personal to you and your interests.

Interpretation

As women, we are told to discipline our bodies to achieve our best shape. Yet, according to MovemeantFoundation.org, “as many as 60% of women in national studies report that they don’t like the way their bodies look.” I wanted a place that counters this societal problem. I knew this could be best achieved through an inclusive setting as this change would only work effectively if it included all of us.

Action

Through extensive research, I concluded a brewery is the best space for this. Creating a space that would surround patrons with this message would be the most immersive and impactful experience. To intrigue my guest, I named it Åska Lår, which in Swedish is said to mean, “thunder thighs.” The menu, corresponding coasters and signage incorporate phrases usually used to commodify and/or degrade a woman’s body. The brewery also includes a timeline of the idealized female body, from ancient times to today, displaying how diverse the desires of men have been and in effect, how meaningless they are. Through being in this space, eventually, they all lose their power. The freedom shown in drinking a beer and letting go of those pressures empowers us all to embrace our bodies as they are.

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