Community Through Challenge Coins
For Naughty Oak Brewing Co., the number one priority is building a place for people to gather together, enjoy good company and, of course, have a few craft beers. To make this happen, the owners of the brewhouse, Stephen and Emily Kitts, are always looking for new ways to get people involved and engaged. One of their more unique ideas was to create a special coin club.Coin clubs and challenge coin programs come in all sorts of different forms. We have been fortunate enough to partner with teams like Naughty Oak and charities like Heroes in the Rough and the Highground Veterans Park who each use their custom coins in new and interesting ways. The coins we help them create are used to spread their message and build a community of support.
When Naughty Oak first came to us in 2016 looking for a set of custom coins, we were more than happy to help. The more we learned about their coin club, the more excited we were to help. We spoke with Emily Kitts about the motivation behind starting the brewery and the coin club, and she said that it always comes back to one important thing: “We’re trying to build a community.”
Making a Not-So-Secret Speakeasy
Naughty Oak Brewing Co. was established back in 2015 and has been growing ever since. They were the first brewery to open in Orcutt, California, and the town welcomed them with open arms. “It’s been really cool to see the reception we have gotten in this town. They were just so ready for a brewery to open up, and the whole town has been really supportive of it,” said Kitts.But just opening their doors wasn’t enough to find success. It has taken a lot of work to get where they are today. Stephen Kitts had been brewing his own beer from home for years when the couple finally decided to start Naughty Oak Brewing. His wife said, “We took a big risk and left our jobs and opened this place.” When it came to deciding on a name, they wanted to pay homage to the local area, while also staying true to their own personality.
The “Oak” part of their name comes from the area’s fame as a haven for giant red oak trees. There are all sorts of restaurants, realtors and stores nearby that have names with “red oak” somewhere in the title, but the Kitts decided to drop the “red” and went with Naughty Oak instead. The “Naughty” part of their name found its inspiration in the Kitts’ rebellious spirit. Kitts described how her husband does not necessarily brew to style and said, “We are just doing things our own way — leaving our jobs and doing what we want.” It’s this rebellious spirit that has carried the brewery to new heights each year.
Creating Something More Than Just a Loyalty Program
Challenge coins got their start in the military. Commanding officers hand out special unit coins for teammates to carry and each one becomes a symbol of unity and team identity. Stephen Kitts collected his own challenge coins while serving in the Air National Guard, experiencing the camaraderie and culture of the coins first hand. When it came time to open Naughty Oak Brewing, he wanted to bring that culture with him.
Anyone can join the Naughty Oak coin club. All you need to do is pay a one-time membership fee and you receive one of their custom coins. The coin club also comes with special perks like 20% off all purchases at the brewhouse, a free beer on your birthday, early beer releases and special coin club nights every Thursday. But the coin club is more than just these types of perks. It’s a membership in the community of Naughty Oak. The Kitts are always looking for ways to get people involved in the brewhouse, whether its live music, trivia nights, corn hole tournaments or the coin club. “The fact that people want to come here and hang out — you just want to feed that and invite more people,” said Kitts. On Thursday nights when the coin club gets together, Kitts said that “it’s cool to see when members actually do the challenge coin tradition. They throw their coins down and buy each other rounds. It’s fun!”
Things like this show that the coin club is working as well as they could have hoped. It’s helping them promote camaraderie among patrons and encouraging people to talk, laugh, share their coins and enjoy a cold beer together. What really makes the coin club so special is that it is more than just a loyalty program or something like a mug club; its a community.
Designing the Coins
Naughty Oak has created three different coins with our team; one for each year they have been doing the coin club program. We asked Kitts what it has been like working with us and she said that our art team has been a huge help. “Those first two years they definitely provided most of the direction,” said Kitts. She sent in the text fonts and colors that we would need, and our artists were able to recreate their brand in beautiful coin designs.
The squirrel mascot from their logo (whose name is actually Norm in case you were wondering) is perfectly recreated on each coin. We are often tasked with creating brand-specific designs, and we have the ability to match everything from size and shape to an exact Pantone shade of color. For their most recent coin, the Kitts had something specific in mind and were able to send us a detailed sketch of exactly what they needed. The design was put together by Kitts and the company’s graphic designer, and they contacted us to see if it would be possible to make their design work.
While our artists have the ability to create completely original designs, we are more than happy to convert an existing design, even from a sketch, into a format that allows for the coins to be created. Below, you can get a fast look at our process in action from a sketched out idea, to a digital proof and to the finished coin.
For any company looking to design custom coins with branded artwork, you can rest assured that our team will make it happen. For these Naughty Oak designs, we were able to match the exact Pantone colors they needed for each coin and to transfer their unique brand onto the design with ease. After receiving this most recent order of coins, Kitts sent us a quick update via email, saying, “We just received the coins ... They look amazing; thank you so very much for the great product, fast service and ease!”
A Yearly Tradition
At the end of the year, Naughty Oak throws a huge party for all of the coin members. This year, instead of holding it at the brewery, they rented out a hanger and set up live music, poker tables, food and drinks. But it didn’t stop there. “So, at our party this year, there happened to be a big DC-10 tanker plane here for maintenance, and the crew was there hanging out,” Kitts said. “They were drinking the beer, and they ended up giving us all tours of the DC-10. It was super cool!”During their annual coin club party, they unveil the new coin for the year that members will need to carry with them to the brewery, not only to receive their benefits but also to avoid having to buy a round of drinks for any challenger who has their coin handy for a coin check. We love hearing how much Naughty Oak has grown over the years, and we’re excited to see what lies ahead. We’re sure there are more great stories to come!
If you are looking for a unique way to build camaraderie and community in your team or business, take it from the Kitts that challenge coins are an awesome place to start! Our Signature Coins team has everything you need to make your dreams for design a reality, but if you need to kick back and enjoy a cold one, you might want to check out Naughty Oak — they have got you covered there!
