Case Study | Rock Fest

Rock Fest

Promotional Strategy & Materials
Environmental Design
Merchandising Design

For over 30 years, rock fans from all over the globe have ascended upon Cadott, Wisconsin for the legendary Rock Fest. Quartermaster was tasked with rebranding this beloved property, with the goal of creating a more ownable ID system and better positioning the event within a heavily saturated regional festival market. It was essential that this brand transition honored the festival’s impressive legacy and struck a chord with its fiercely loyal attendees, a community deeply protective of their annual event.

The Challenge

As the last standing independently run rock festival in the country, the branding solution demanded a fresh perspective on a genre of music defined by rebellion. While we knew certain visual tropes would universally resonate with the target audience, we were fueled by a desire to evoke the rock culture and ethos in a non-cliché approach and reposition these familiar expressions through a uniquely local lens in order to effectively distill the special spirit and longstanding traditions of Rock Fest.

Research & Insights

Early Concepts:

At their core, rock festivals embody the archetype of rebel brands. However, our research revealed that, ironically, many of their brand identities relied on the exact same overused visual cues to communicate their nonconformity, such as gritty textures, rugged fonts, guitar graphics, horror-inspired themes, and traditional counterculture imagery – a formulaic, visual shorthand that failed to capture the distinctive character of each event. Given this significant aesthetic saturation in the market, we knew we needed to take advantage of this white space opportunity.

With a loyal fanbase who we knew valued individualism, resilience,and community, transforming Rock Fest’s brand presented an opportunity to celebrate these ideals in a way that felt authentically inspired and specifically personal to their proud Midwestern roots. From native wildlife skulls to rural barbed wire fences, the natural and manmade elements of the Wisconsin heartland offered a rich design foundation that aligned with the festival’s unique setting and cultural heritage.
 

The Solution: A Bold Tribute to the Land and Legacy

The new logo draws inspiration from the rugged symmetry of wildlife skulls native to the region. Its sharp, jagged angles evoke the raw energy of rock while nodding to the tradition of mounting skulls on wooden plaques—a familiar sight in Midwestern homes, often paired with vintage rock records.

The brand mark, a barbed wire spike twisted into the classic ‘sign of the horns’ hand gesture, serves as a rebellious yet grounded emblem. Barbed wire, a symbol of resilience and community, mirrors the unbreakable bond of Rock Fest fans while tying back to the farmland setting. This modern reinterpretation blends rock’s raw energy with the festival’s down-to-earth roots.
 

The Solution: A Modern Twist on Tradition

The color palette draws from the fiery hues of a golden-hour sunset—vivid oranges, deep reds, and warm yellows—capturing the intensity of rock music and the natural beauty of the festival’s rural grounds. Silhouettes of native, leafless trees entwined with barbed wire add texture and depth, connecting the brand to its landscape. Tree ring patterns symbolize growth and legacy, grounding the identity in its rich history. Native wild animal skulls further anchor the brand to its Midwestern roots, reinforcing a rugged yet modern character that feels deeply personal to the festival’s audience.
 

Outcome and Conclusion

Rock Fest’s revitalized visual identity is a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of rock music and the resilience of its community. Much like barbed wire fences weathering the test of time, Rock Fest fans are united by an unbreakable spirit, and the new brand reflects their raw, untamed energy. The unique new brand, rooted in its Midwestern heritage, captures the essence of what makes Rock Fest a true home for rock enthusiasts, sets it apart from competitors, and appeals to a global audience.

This project underscores Quartermaster’s expertise in navigating brand transformations that honor tradition while embracing innovation. Rock Fest stands as a shining example of how thoughtful branding can empower established events to thrive in crowded markets.

Case Study | HELLBENT

HELLBENT

Market Research & Competitive Analysis
Product Formulation
Naming
Brand Identity Creation
Packaging Design & Development
Promotional Strategies & Materials
Merchandising Design
Pro Forma & Go-To-Market Strategy

A beloved actor, his business partner, and a pair of comedy television writers sought to carve out a bold new path in the alcoholic beverage industry. They wanted to draw on their passion for geek culture and horror movies to create a brand that resonates with a young, culturally-attuned customer base who craves high-ABV options for their nights out. Quartermaster was entrusted with transforming this vision into a fully realized product, leading the creation of everything from the beverage formula and flavor profiles to the name, visual identity, and packaging.

The Challenge

While the founder and his partners brought creative imaginations and a strong concept hypothesis to the table, they lacked experience navigating the competitive beverage industry. Quartermaster was tasked with bridging that gap, identifying white space opportunities, and crafting a distinct product, supporting brand identity and the foundations of what would become a new business. The challenge was to balance current market trends with a disruptive position, ensuring the beverage would stand out in a crowded category while appealing to a diverse audience seeking premium, high-ABV options with bold flavor

Research & Insights

Quartermaster’s research revealed two key consumption trends: the simultaneous rise of low-ABV and high-ABV beverages, catering to different drinking occasions and audiences. This finding validated the idea of a high-octane (8%+ ABV) beverage, particularly among cost-conscious, social drinkers valuing alcohol volume per dollar spent.

Additionally, premiumization trends showed a growing preference for spirit-based cocktails with bold, full-flavored profiles and high-quality ingredients. Therefore, we identified our target demographic to skew younger (ages 21-25), with a secondary audience of late 20s to 40s drawn to compelling storytelling and a premium drinking experience. We also noticed the same classic recipes largely reflected in the product offerings on shelves, leading to the identification of a series of popular cocktails currently underserved in the RTD (ready-to-drink) market.

Our competitive brand analysis uncovered a saturated RTD cocktail space dominated by dainty, highly elegant, minimalist visual identities. This revealed a white space opportunity: a bold, edgy, and illustrative brand that cuts through the clutter, drawing inspiration from horror and occult themes to engage a younger, harder-to-reach audience—particularly males under 35—while offering a distinct alternative to overly feminine branding.

The Solution: Party Cocktails with a Wicked Twist.

Early Concepts:

Enter: Hellbent, a canned cocktail brand that combines real spirit bases, bold flavors, high ABVs, and edgy, horror-inspired packaging. Hellbent’s branding strikes the perfect balance between the clean, minimalist aesthetic common in RTD cocktails and the wild, playful energy of craft beer brands.

The logo features a weathered, gritty style that evokes rebellion and individuality. The tilted ‘B’ symbolizes both the brand’s off-kilter personality and its high ABV, nodding to the idea of being ‘bent,’ or drunk. The brand’s vibrant color palette draws inspiration from the electric hues of 1980s horror movie posters, creating a dynamic and eye-catching shelf presence.The can designs reflect the color of the liquid inside, creating an intuitive connection between the product and its packaging while ensuring visual cohesion across the line.

Each flavor is personified by an illustrated monster silhouette, inspired by iconic horror characters, and paired with understated easter egg elements that deepen the storytelling. These hand-drawn designs, featuring textured ink and paint brush effects, add a raw, eerie authenticity. Each monster’s exaggerated, screaming mouth serves as a striking focal point, amplifying the brand’s bold identity.

Hellbent’s product line includes five wickedly delicious cocktails: Dirty Shirley, Corpse Reviver #2, Swamp Margarita, Pain Killer, and Coffee Negroni. Quartermaster led the development of every aspect of Hellbent, from product concept and formulation to naming, branding, and packaging, crafting a brand that invites all drinkers to raise hell and release their wild side.

Outcome and Conclusion

Hellbent’s distinctive branding and strategic positioning have already garnered investor enthusiasm, setting the stage for a successful market entry. This project exemplifies Quartermaster’s ability to translate visionary concepts into market-ready products. By combining in-depth market research, competitive analysis, and innovative design, Hellbent is poised to be a sin-sational success, redefining the RTD cocktail space with its bold flavors, edgy identity, and rebellious spirit.

Artist Brand Management

Managing and developing brands for some of the world’s biggest artists.

Client

Various Artists

Our Role

Marketing Strategy
Brand Design
Social Media Management
Content

Quartermaster specializes in brand development and 360° marketing for musical artists, with proven experience in everything from brand strategy and visual ID systems to managing fan communication through PR and social. Our exceptional design team, authentic social voice strategies and most importantly, quantifiable results, have helped us attract some of the biggest acts in music across all genres, including Kesha, Kings Of Leon, and Cat Stevens, among many others.

Four social media posts done for Wrabel.

Cover image for a Martin Sexton CD, Mixtape of the Open Road.

Two social media posts with Kings of Leon lyrics done in a vintage-looking etching style of graphic.

Graphic artwork of a quote by Charlie Daniels, with American flags, crossed arrows, and wings, that says ‘Skynrd is the purest rock & roll band the USA has ever produced.’

Social media graphic depicting Angelique Kidjo next to a kind quote about her from Bono.

Image collage of the artists Yusuf/Cat Stevens.

The Krillest

A private members organization for uncommon creatures manifesting impact through Web3.

Client

The Krillest

Our Role

Marketing Strategy
Brand Design
Merch Design
Social Media
Marketing Website Design

We’ve made it a priority to work with innovative businesses in emerging markets like the NFT, web3, and fractional spaces. A most recent example is The Krillest, a private members organization for rare and uncommon creatures manifesting impact through Web3. By combining Web3 visionaries with extraordinary leaders across 12 non-Web3 verticals in a gated ecosystem, Krillest members build bonds through unique IRL experiences and co-create tomorrow’s next innovations through a full-stack, proprietary marketplace.

The Krillest asked Quartermaster to develop a brand that would reflect the organization’s exclusivity, purpose, and community values. From designing over 3,250 unique, generative member NFTs, to writing the company’s manifesto, to designing The Krillest Marketplace, Quartermaster provides the organization with ongoing 360˚ brand communications and marketing support to help build awareness and attract some of the most exceptional entrepreneurs, artists, investors, technologists, and thought leaders in the world to join their ranks, including cultural icons like A Tribe Called Quest founder and hip hop pioneer Q-Tip, world-class entrepreneurs and investors like Flamingo Capital’s co-founder Chris Adamo, and internationally recognized talents like actress, activist, and philanthropist Patricia Velasquez.

Three pasted-up Krillest posters in a row showing the colorful, blocky branded illustrations over top of photography, and the others saying ‘Krillest culture established 2022’

An asymmetrical collage of various lovely scenes from an exotic, luxurious vacation

Several colorful Krillest branded icon illustrations on a black background

A white button-up style shirt with various colorful branded illustrations, and several button pins with branded illustrations.

Three pages from the Krillest website shown at a desktop size on a solid green background

Closeup of two silver necklaces in the shape of the Krillest chimera.

Three NFTs designed for Krillest with fantasy creatures in a blocky graphic style.

An asymmetrical collage of various lovely scenes from a beach resort vacation

Force Fields

Naming
Brand identity development
Promotional strategies and materials
Merchandising design

Chippewa Valley, renowned for its successful rock and country festivals, sought to expand into the electronic dance music (EDM) scene with a new festival. Quartermaster was engaged to name and brand this new venture, resulting in the creation of “Force Fields,” a festival that blends music, culture, and a captivating alien theme.

The Challenge

Our challenge was multifaceted and required creating a distinctive new name and brand identity that would resonate with EDM enthusiasts while standing out in a saturated local and global market. Additionally, we needed to integrate the client’s desire for an “alien theme” into the event’s identity and embrace the unique farm setting where Chippewa Valley’s events are hosted. Balancing these elements was crucial to ensuring that the new festival would be both unique and appealing.

Research & Insights

Early Concepts:

Given our awareness that the EDM festival space is highly saturated, we knew the importance of conducting extensive research to identify brand “white space” and thematic and visual areas of opportunity. This research was essential to ensure that Force Fields would not plagiarize or heavily borrow from existing events. We analyzed a wide array of festivals to pinpoint gaps and unique elements that could be leveraged. By focusing on these untapped areas, we aimed to create a brand identity that was fresh, original, and captivating. Our insights into Chippewa Valley’s history, particularly their success in utilizing the rural farm setting for their rock and country festivals, further informed our strategy. This unique backdrop became a pivotal element in weaving together the alien theme, offering a distinctive and engaging experience that would resonate deeply with both locals and visitors.

The Solution: An Alien Invasion on the Farm

Naming

We developed hundreds of potential names, finally selecting “Force Fields”, designed to evoke a sense of mystery and intrigue, aligning perfectly with the alien theme and the festival’s immersive experience.

Brand Identity Development

We crafted an illustrated, graphic novel-esque theme that depicts green aliens invading the soil and livestock of a farm, directly referencing the festival’s farm setting. The logo, reminiscent of crop circles, reinforces this theme and creates a strong visual identity that stands out in the crowded festival market.

Promotional Strategies and Materials

Our promotional strategy focused on highlighting the unique alien theme and the festival’s rural setting. We developed a comprehensive suite of promotional materials, including posters, social media graphics, and video content, all featuring the striking graphic novel style. These materials were designed to create buzz and attract attention across various platforms, engaging both existing Chippewa Valley fans and new audiences.

Merchandising Design

The festival’s merchandise was designed to reflect its distinctive brand identity. We created a range of products, including T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and accessories, all featuring the alien invasion artwork and crop circle logo. This merchandise not only served as a revenue stream but also as a means to further promote the festival’s unique theme.

Outcome and Conclusion

The launch of Force Fields has been a resounding success. The festival’s unique branding has garnered significant attention, setting it apart from other EDM festivals. Ticket sales exceeded expectations, particularly among EDM enthusiasts drawn to the innovative theme and unique setting. Social media engagement has been robust, with attendees eagerly sharing their experiences and the festival’s distinctive visuals.

Force Fields exemplifies Quartermaster’s ability to create compelling, differentiated brand identities that capture the essence of an event while standing out in competitive markets. Our work on this project highlights our expertise in transforming concepts into memorable, impactful brand experiences.

This project underscores Quartermaster’s expertise in conducting thoughtful brand transitions that respect historical significance while embracing contemporary trends. Force Fields exemplifies our ability to innovate within traditional frameworks, ensuring that established events continue to thrive in competitive environments.

Hoofbeat

Naming
Brand identity development
Promotional strategies and materials
Merchandising design

Originally known as “Country Fest,” this iconic music festival in Cadott, Wisconsin, has been a staple for country music lovers for over 35 years. As part of a strategic move to reposition and modernize the festival, Quartermaster was tasked with transforming its identity to stand out in a market increasingly crowded with competitors boasting similar names, branding, and talent lineups.

The Challenge

The challenge was multifaceted: to create a distinctive new name and brand identity that would resonate with younger audiences while maintaining the festival’s longstanding appeal. The rebranding needed to distinguish the festival from its competitors and refresh its image to capture the interest of both new and returning attendees.

Research & Insights

Early Concepts:

Our research indicated that attendees of country music festivals are increasingly looking for unique, engaging experiences that connect them to the community and the local culture. Insights from the festival’s history, specifically its longstanding location on local farmland, highlighted the potential to draw on this rich heritage. The farmland setting and familiar agricultural motifs provided a unique backdrop that could be woven into the festival’s new identity to resonate deeply with both locals and visitors.

The Solution: A Modern Twist on Tradition

Leveraging the festival’s agricultural roots, Quartermaster introduced “Hoofbeat” as the new festival name, evoking the rhythmic pulse of country music and the pastoral charm of its farmland setting. This name and the corresponding brand identity were designed to stand out in the cluttered landscape of country music festivals, offering a fresh and memorable brand experience.

The rebranding extended to a comprehensive redesign of the festival’s website, transforming it into a dynamic platform that reflects the new brand identity and improves user interaction. Our social media strategy was overhauled to engage a younger audience, utilizing vibrant visuals and interactive content that highlighted the festival’s unique setting and heritage.

Brand identity elements, including logos and color schemes, were redesigned to incorporate agricultural motifs and imagery that connected with the local farming culture. Promotional materials and merchandise were also revamped to align with the new branding, using modern aesthetics that appealed to a broad demographic spectrum.

Outcome and Conclusion

The transformation from Country Fest to Hoofbeat has successfully revitalized the festival’s image and appeal. Ticket sales increased, particularly among younger demographics, and social media engagement rates surged, indicating a strong approval of the new brand identity. The festival now stands out distinctly from its competitors, with a unique identity rooted in local culture yet appealing to a modern audience.

This project underscores Quartermaster’s expertise in conducting thoughtful brand transitions that respect historical significance while embracing contemporary trends. Hoofbeat exemplifies our ability to innovate within traditional frameworks, ensuring that established events continue to thrive in competitive environments.