Why Old Nation Made These Strategic Focuses for 10th Anniversary

In an industry that moves at the pace of the next hype release, reaching a decade of brewing success is no small feat, especially when your flagship beer is so firmly embedded in the Midwest craft beer scene that people assume your brewery has been around much longer. For Travis Fritts, founder of Old Nation Brewing Co., that kind of brand recognition is exactly the point.

“We most often hear the feedback of, ‘Oh, I thought you guys were 20-some years old!’” Fritts told Brewer Mag. “That tells us we’ve honestly and effectively woven ourselves into one of the most competitive craft beer markets in the US.”

As Old Nation celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, it’s doing so with more than a party. The team planned a thoughtful, strategic campaign designed to reinforce the brand’s values, deepen community ties, and explore future opportunities.

The cornerstone of Old Nation’s celebration is a series of small-batch, brewpub-only releases. These beers revisit the company’s early days, and not as rebranded nostalgia bombs, but as fully formed recipes that reflect the brewery’s unwavering commitment to quality.

“We are brewers, so we’re highlighting beer,” Fritts said. “We’re reintroducing several beers we loved to drink and brew from our first two years, well before we were particularly well-known.”

Rather than relying on data-driven decisions, Old Nation leaned on feedback from longtime pub regulars and its brewers’ own passion to decide which beers would return. 

“We didn’t improve these beers,” Fritts said. “They were always made as well as we knew how. If we had wanted to change them, we would’ve given them a new name and a new label.”

That mindset — treating every beer as a “complete thought” — has become part of Old Nation’s internal quality control culture. It’s also a subtle brand discipline that reinforces consumer trust. It’s a reminder that consistency and integrity often speak louder than innovation alone.

While many breweries go all out with anniversary events, Old Nation has kept its efforts grounded. 

“We’re not going too crazy to promote it,” Fritts said. “Our eyes are mostly looking forward.”

Still, that hasn’t stopped creating some buzz. The return of beers like Ghost Meat and Flat Brain has generated plenty of local excitement, especially when timed with the prerelease of high-demand seasonal offerings like Tranquilas Mexican Lager or Tart Strawberry M-43.

“Those releases tied to anniversary drops are what really drive excitement,” said Creative Director Scott VanGilder. “Social media is still our biggest tool. We don’t have a huge budget, so we take full advantage of low-cost, high-impact platforms.”

In that regard, Old Nation offers a blueprint for others with lean marketing resources: Let the compelling beer releases do the heavy lifting, use your in-house audience as your amplifier, and tie your brand story to the products customers already love.

Unlike some brands that dive into their origin story for anniversaries, Old Nation has chosen a lighter touch. 

“We decided not to go heavy on the ‘our story’ aspect,” VanGilder said. “We wanted the focus to be on the beer.”

That said, the brewery has quietly woven storytelling into its physical spaces and customer-facing materials: a few nods in email newsletters, highlights on the brewpub menu, and wall art celebrating a decade of “Respectfully Brewed Beers.” Even the taproom staff — many of whom grew up with the Fritts family in Williamston, Michigan — naturally carry and share the brewery’s story with guests.

“Our staff has lived the story,” Fritts said. “They know us by our deeds around town. We trust them to be great ambassadors, and they rarely disappoint.”

READ MORE: Looking Through the Haze: Old Nation Branches From NEIPA Strength

This authentic, decentralized approach to branding is a case study in trust: trusting your team, your beer, and your community to tell your story better than a slick campaign ever could.

For any brewery looking to celebrate their own milestones, Old Nation’s approach provides several actionable strategies:

• Reflect Before You Promote: “Every day you come to work, you must do your best to give your absolute best to your guests,” says Fritts. “An anniversary is only possible because they support you.”
• Use What You Have: “Take advantage of every no-cost or low-cost avenue you can,” VanGilder recommends. “Socials and your taproom are goldmines. If your fans get excited, they will share it.”
• Stay Disciplined With Your Brand: Don’t cut corners to chase trends. If you believe in your product, treat every beer like it’s your first impression.

As Old Nation Brewing its anniversary celebration throughout the year, it does without as much as a victory lap, but with the quiet confidence of a brewery that knows its place and has plans to stay there.

“This anniversary is as much theirs as it is ours,” Fritts said in a nod to fans, employees, and community members who have helped shape Old Nation. “Ten years is great, but if you’re in it for the long haul, it’s just proof of concept.”