Behind the Design: The Making of Copper Legend’s New Look
A look inside the creative process behind the new Copper Legend artwork, with our Creative Manager Julia Paccone.
Every fall, Copper Legend returns to Jack’s Abby with its unmistakable copper color, malty character, and connection to Oktoberfest. But this year, there’s something new to discover before you even crack the can.
For the latest design, Creative Manager Julia Paccone set out to create something that felt more like an experience than a package: “I wanted the can to represent more than just the beer inside, but also the festival that inspired it.”
From a Beer Can to a Festival Scene
The first goal was to move away from the Bavarian checkered pattern that had previously defined the Copper Legend package. While the pattern was recognizable, Julia felt it didn’t quite capture the energy of Oktoberfest or the visual direction of Jack’s Abby’s newer seasonal beers. Instead, she looked to the festival itself for inspiration.
Beer barrels. Steins. Pretzels. Picnic tables. A Ferris wheel. The iconic beer houses, tents, and elements of a classic Oktoberfest fairground.
Rather than treating these elements as individual decorations, Julia brought them together into one continuous scene. The result is an illustration that feels like you’re walking right into an Oktoberfest celebration.
“I really liked how the artwork for Porch Fest [our Summer Lager] felt like a celebratory scene you were stepping into,” Julia explains. “I wanted to recreate that feeling, but with an Oktoberfest flair.”
That approach gives the new Copper Legend can a sense of place. Look closely, and you’ll find all the familiar details of a great fest: steins full of lager, barrels stacked up, pretzels galore, and a lively beer hall scene unfolding in the background.
Keeping Copper Legend in the Picture
While the goal was to give Copper Legend a fresh visual identity, the design still needed to feel unmistakably like Copper Legend. Julia kept the typography consistent with the broader Jack’s Abby product family and carried forward elements of the original color palette so longtime Copper Legend drinkers would still recognize their fall favorite on the shelf.
The biggest shift was in the color balance. We shifted the purple hues to fit the updated design and brighten up the whole scene. The new artwork leans more heavily into these bright shades, creating a stronger contrast with Copper Legend’s signature copper, orange, and warm red tones. The result is brighter and more dimensional, with the blue sky giving the Oktoberfest scene room to breathe while the classic Copper Legend colors keep the beer itself at the center.
It’s a new chapter for the package without losing the visual cues that make Copper Legend recognizable.
The Legend Behind the Label
Of course, all that artwork is there to celebrate what’s inside the can.
Copper Legend is Jack’s Abby’s signature 5.7% Oktoberfest Lager, brewed with imported Pilsner, Vienna, and Munich malts and imported Seitz family hops. A traditional decoction mash gives the beer added depth, while its balance of caramel, sweet toasted malt, and smooth drinkability makes it an easy fit for long afternoons and lively fall gatherings.
Copper Legend has been part of Jack’s Abby from the beginning, brewed every year since the brewery opened. The style itself has deep roots: Märzen was traditionally brewed in the spring, stored through the warmer months, and brought out for Oktoberfest when the weather turned cooler.
That history is part of what makes Copper Legend such a natural centerpiece for fall. It has the rich malt character and warm amber color you’d expect from an Oktoberfest beer, but it’s brewed to be smooth, balanced, and highly drinkable.
A Little Piece of Oktoberfest in Every Can
From the Ferris wheel in the distance to the steins and barrels in the foreground, every part of the illustration is meant to capture the warmth, energy, and celebration of the festival that inspired it.
So the next time you pick up a Copper Legend, take a closer look. Then grab a stein, gather your people, and Be the Legend!
