Hartley's North Park Edition
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Hartley's North Park Edition *
Hartley's North Park Edition began with a simple idea brought to me by a friend at HOKA: could we create a project that brought together several North Park businesses under a single concept? The partners included Overload Skate Shop, Milestone Running, and Mission Brewing, three businesses connected by the same neighbourhood but operating in very different spaces. The challenge was to find a unifying story that felt authentic rather than simply placing a collection of logos on a product.
During the research phase, I came across references to "Hartley's North Park" on an old flyer. The early name used for the area after original landowner James Monroe Hartley purchased the land in the late 1800s. The discovery immediately provided the conceptual anchor for the project. Rather than focusing on individual brands, the story became about North Park itself—its history, its streets, and the way different communities continue to intersect within the neighbourhood today.
From there, I developed the overall creative direction for the collaboration. The Hartley's North Park Edition identity became the foundation for everything that followed, connecting skateboarding, running, brewing, and community through a single narrative. The project celebrated movement through North Park, with Overload representing skateboarding, Milestone representing running, and Mission Brewing providing the destination and place of pause.
My role extended across every stage of the project. I developed the concept, designed the Hartley's North Park Edition beer label, photographed the campaign imagery, and produced and directed the promotional video. The visual identity drew inspiration from historical references while maintaining a contemporary feel that reflected the neighbourhood as it exists today.
The collaboration also extended to the product itself. During the development process, I suggested producing an amber lager, a beer style whose timeless character felt perfectly aligned with the historical inspiration behind the project. The final product became a complete expression of the concept, with the branding, storytelling, imagery, film, and beer all working together under a single creative vision.
Hartley's North Park Edition remains one of my favourite projects because it demonstrates the power of strong concepts. What began as a conversation about making a beer evolved into a fully integrated creative campaign that connected multiple brands, celebrated local history, and created a story that felt uniquely tied to North Park.