A Creative Branding + Advertising Agency
Brand Strategy, Creative Campaigns & Content Production Agency
Atomic Dog Hard Cider partnered with Agency Squid to execute a full-scale brand transformation, rebuilding identity, restructuring market positioning, and launching a national expansion strategy in a competitive RTD landscape.
Consulting
Research & Brand Strategy
Consumer Segmentation & Product Development
Communication Platforms
Branding
Creative Direction
Production
Omnichannel Activations
Shopper Marketing
Paid Media
Deliverables
Marketing & Branding Strategy
Branding/Art Direction
Copywriting/Brand Voice
Videography/Photography
Website Design & Development
Omnichannel Campaign
Shopper Marketing
Atomic Dog, formerly known as Jack’s Hard Cider, came to Agency Squid at a critical inflection point. After 15+ years of stagnant growth, the legacy brand was losing shelf space and struggling with national relevance—further complicated by a trademark battle with Brown-Forman and a complete lack of internal sales or marketing infrastructure.
Despite a renewed consumer interest in clean-label RTDs during the pandemic, Jack’s was unable to capitalize on cider’s small resurgence. Our brief was clear: reinvent the brand, rebuild the business from the inside out, and position Atomic Dog to compete in a rapidly evolving beverage category.
Atomic Dog is a leading hard cider producer in the Northeast United States. Formerly known as Jack’s Hard Cider, the brand faced declining relevance, limited distribution growth, and increasing category competition.
The hard cider market had slowed while consumers shifted toward better-for-you RTDs and hard seltzers such as:
These brands dominated awareness but left whitespace among flavor-seeking, ingredient-conscious consumers.
At the same time, consumers were shifting toward clean-label, flavor-forward beverage options, creating a narrow but powerful opportunity window.
Research & Strategic Foundation
Research, Trends & Competitive Landscape
Agency Squid conducted:
We identified a critical whitespace: Consumers were burned out on bland seltzers but still seeking better-for-you alternatives. Hard cider could fill that gap if positioned boldly.
Audience Segmentation
We defined a crossover consumer segment:
This audience became the foundation of the new brand positioning.
Brand Strategy & Positioning
Building a Challenger Brand
Atomic Dog was repositioned as:
We avoided orchard clichés and nostalgic craft tropes. Instead, we built a challenger brand capable of competing beyond cider.
Identity & Packaging
Packaging was engineered to:
The Work
The Tap House
The flagship taproom was reimagined to reflect the new brand identity.
We:
The taproom became a brand-building engine, not just a tasting room.
Omnichannel Campaign
To launch the rebrand nationally, we implemented a full-funnel omnichannel strategy:
Every channel reinforced the same bold brand message.
A rebrand that led to national expansion—making cider relevant again.
Results
NATIONAL EXPANSION AND RETAIL GROWTH
The rebrand led to:
Atomic Dog evolved from a local cider brand into a nationally recognized challenger.
Want to see more bold brand transformations? Explore more portfolio work or let’s build your brand with Agency Squid.
