For the Milwaukee County Historical Society’s first permanent exhibit in decades, o&o studio was engaged to brand, and then help organize and present the organization’s vast collection of beer knowledge and memorabilia. 

The Society is located in a historic bank building alongside the Milwaukee River. The brewing industry was once such a major source of the original bank’s business that even ornamental hops were carved into the building’s facade.

“Brew City” — the exhibit’s brand — is inspired by more traditional brewing motifs, but is presented as relevant today through a strikingly Milwaukee-flavored color palette and warm, contemporary type treatments.

The exhibit covers a range of related topics, from the origins of the brewing industry via a combination of geography and European immigration, through to the impact the industry grew to make on Milwaukee society over generations.