Tapster | Brewing the Brand
Overview
The “aha moment” that sparked what would eventually become Tapster was simple enough. A couple of sorority sisters were frustrated by the need to enlist the help of neighboring frat guys to get kegs into their house. But what these founders lacked in brawn, they made up for in sheer audacity and soon Frat Tap was delivering kegs to college parties across New England. As they sought to expand into the broader alcohol delivery space they needed a better product, and a brand that appealed to a wider audience.
Roles: Creative & Design Director // UX Lead // Copywriter
What I Did
Strategy
Creative and Design Direction
Naming and Brand Design
UX & Copywriting
Client therapist
Stripe Whisperer
Why It Mattered
This project was a crash course in entrepreneurship. Over 12 months I worked closely with the clients to gain their trust, hone their business model and plan their strategy. Guiding our team to over-deliver was a sustained effort and the stress was palpable. We stretched, but we grew. It was an opportunity for me to mix my old marketing chops with UX skills and while the project may not have been our most profitable, it was one of our most creative and rewarding.
Approach
The client came to us with a limited brand and a barely functional app. After conducting analysis and UX research, we reimagined the brand identity, transforming Frat Tap into Tapster, a brand that spoke to those who were tired of nightlife and bar scenes, and built a platform-neutral app, driver tools, and backend systems. Our dual campaign—Fear of Going Out (FOGO) and Business of Pleasure (BoP)—launched in late 2019, using bold visuals to connect with Boston’s social anxieties. Tapster gained traction, but the 2020 pandemic quickly shifted the landscape, forcing Tapster to retire as larger competitors dominated the market.
