JW Lees | Vision Film & Book

Breweries are built on tradition. And few carry it quite like JW Lees. A family business since 1828, it’s poured six generations of pride into every pint. But great breweries don’t just look back – they brew forward.

In 2017 we had worked with JW Lees to create a brand vision, which we communicated through a film to people inside and outside the business. That vision proved so successful that it led to a transformation of the brand – from beer branding to pub design. In fact, everything changed so much that the film started to look dated. So, in 2024, we worked with JW Lees to create a new film that captured not just the history, but the heartbeat of the business today.

Yes, the copper stills and timber beams are there. But the focus is on people. The brewer before dawn. The landlord unlocking the doors. The regular with a favourite stool and a thousand stories. Filming took us from Greengate Brewery to pubs across the North West – into cellars, kitchens, and the moments that make JW Lees what it is.

To sit alongside the film, we created a beer mat-sized booklet. Small, but packed with history, values, and a clear commitment to the same vision established in 2017: Hospitality with brewing at its heart.

First shared at the annual gathering, the film drew laughs, cheers – and more than a few proud tears. Because when a business knows who it is, and tells its story well, people feel it.