Dekkers: Lighting Up the World’s Top Beverage Brands for 30+ Years

Photography provided by Dekkers

In the world of beer and beverages, visibility isn’t optional, it’s survival. For over thirty-three years, Dekkers has been the strategic force behind some of the most iconic brand moments in the industry. Headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, this international collective of designers, engineers, and brand strategists never makes signage for signage’s sake, but brand visibility that’s built to influence behavior and sales.

Founded by Rob Dekkers in the early ’90s, the company was born from a bold idea: that brand expression shouldn’t be limited to billboards or neon in bar windows. It should live inside: on the walls, in the fridges, at the tap handles. Everywhere your customers are. Today, Rob still leads the company as CEO, with a focus not on following trends, but on building what’s next.

We are giving the brand the center stage.

Jesper Stienen, Dekkers

A pivotal moment came during the 2008 financial crisis, when Heineken challenged Dekkers to develop a safer, more sustainable alternative to traditional glass neon. The result? LEDNeon, which, compared to traditional neon, reduces logistics volume by twenty to thirty-five percent. These designs save electricity because they consume three times less power than traditional neon signs and are less prone to breakage.

For Heineken, switching to Dekkers LEDNeon meant being on brand and showcasing sustainability while also reducing the total costs of ownership.

Dekkers introduced a new era of innovation: one where sustainable, scalable, and stunning illuminated branding became the new standard.

And the bespoke brand illuminators have never looked back.

“That challenged us and sparked creativity and ingenuity,” says Jesper Stienen, North America Director at Dekkers. “That development never stopped, and the hunger to find new ways to make brand illumination tools has remained.”

Today, Dekkers partners with seven of the world’s top ten largest breweries, including Heineken, Corona and Molson Coors, as well as a growing number of U.S. craft producers such as Brooklyn Brewery, Troegs, Artisanal Breweries, Lagunitas and Two Roads. Dekkers houses in-house creators who design custom brand illumination to elevate beer brands into household names.

As Stienen says, “We are giving the brand the center stage.”

Brand illumination is not just a catchy phrase but a discipline. With the right illumination, a brand can connect with a consumer, driving instant recognition and lasting impressions. Picture the last time you walked into a bar. What did you end up drinking? And more importantly, why did you choose that beverage? Did brand loyalty drive you to drink a Corona? Or was it the brewery’s iconic clear bottle that called out to you from behind the bar?

“[Brand illumination] speaks for itself,” Stienen says, noting that it covers everything from illuminated light boxes and LEDNeons to the use of branded fridges, barware, and backbar moments.

In other words, brand illumination ensures that all eyes are on your brewery, so you are not only seen but also remembered. It connects the dots between a moment in time: a music festival, a bar night, a taproom visit, and long-term loyalty.

Photography provided by Dekkers

Take iconic bottles like Corona or Coca-Cola: they’re instantly recognizable. “When a brand already has a distinct bottle, it deserves to be the hero,” says Stienen. “That’s where bottle glorifiers come in. We design them to spotlight the bottle, right at the point of purchase, so it draws attention, sparks recognition, and subtly nudges consumers toward choosing your brand.”

By making your bottle the focal point in bars, on-premise activations, and retail spaces, you’re not just selling a product. You’re reinforcing identity, influence, and brand love in real time.

Photography provided by Dekkers

When building a successful brand, consistency is key. Brand loyalty isn’t built solely on beer quality, but also on memory, emotion, and repetition.

You need to remember that the brand is the one you linked to the moment. If you don’t link it instantly, you won’t remember.

Jesper Stienen, Dekkers

Why do you crave a Corona when you go to the beach? Could it be because the major beer brand’s repeated use of its lager in beach scenes, including an iconic light-up palm tree, has conditioned us in a certain way?

“Imagine you’re at a music event, having the best time of your life,” says Stienen. “You will link that brand to that great moment.”

Stienen adds that humans keep a folder in their brains that links back to these fantastic moments, whether at an event, taproom, or bar.

“Humans are predictive in recognition. We like to see things we know, remember them, and repeat them,” he says. “You need to remember that the brand is the one you linked to the moment. If you don’t link it instantly, you won’t remember.”

Brand illumination can bridge a fleeting moment to a long-term love affair, connecting a company and its community.

“Step one is being visible and being repeated and recognized,” Stienen says. “We take it one step further and have people connect to your values.”

Jesper points to Sierra Nevada as a brand where sustainability is a part of their identity, visible across everything from their supply chain to their social media.

“We make sure to align with the sustainability goals of each partner,” he explains. “For most brands, that means more than just choosing the right materials. We advise on conscious shipping practices, modular design, and circular solutions. Ensuring that every product not only fits the brand but actively supports their environmental ambitions.”

He continues: “Visibility doesn’t stop at what happens inside the brewery. It’s about how the brewery shows up in the world and that includes making sustainability visible, credible, and consistent.”

Photography provided by Dekkers

When you work with Dekkers, you’re engaging a creative and strategic partner. Dekkers doesn’t provide breweries with anything “off the shelf”, delivering only bespoke items that align with brand guidelines.

For the popular beer brand Duvel, this meant personalized signs that drove consumer engagement and brand recognition. For Jack Daniels, Dekkers created tailored point-of-sale and branded designs to capture fan engagement around the world.

The process begins with deep discovery: their team asks dozens of questions to uncover your identity, audience, positioning, and goals. What moments matter most to your drinkers? What story do you want to tell and where? Dekkers gets to know every brand intimately.

From there, Dekkers’ in-house creative team, backed by state-of-the-art design and tools can “do their magic,” says Stienen. These bespoke brand illumination items will maximize brand awareness and increase sales, making sure every touchpoint is customized and every piece is purposeful.

“We’re creating concepts and products that capture attention,” says Stienen.

Throughout the process, the design team maintains constant communication with your brand, responding to numerous emails and scheduling calls to ensure they’re creating the perfect brand illumination tools.

Photography provided by Dekkers

The exercise of growing your brand isn’t an easy win. Before making the leap to work with a company to enhance your brand, there are key considerations to be aware of.

“Look for partners that have been in the industry,” says Stienen. “And work with a partner that helps put out the right tools.”

And always dig a little deeper.

“Something common we always hear is doing something cheap and fast,” Stienen says. “Someone can do that, but at what cost?”

If a brand has a specific color palette, and you choose a company because it was cheaper and faster, saving yourself a couple of dollars might not matter if they create something with the wrong color scheme.

“That’s a common pitfall we see,” Stienen says. “They try to spend less, and it doesn’t look like their brand.”

But it could get worse. Stienen says they’ve heard from clients who get products that just don’t work.

“If [branding] is out for two months in a bar, but half the sign doesn’t work, that’s even worse,” he says. “That’s anti-advertising.”

Other pitfalls Stienen has observed include brands collaborating with companies that disregard safety and certification requirements. Dekkers produces a wide range of electrical items, and Stienen emphasizes the importance of compliance with certifications.

“If a bar burns down because your sign isn’t up to certifications, you don’t want your name on that sign,” Stienen says. “It is important to work with a partner with all the safety and certifications, and test it so you know it’s safe and you have that documentation.”

He adds, “Follow the right steps and do it the right way. Work with a partner who knows how to follow these.”

Photography provided by Dekkers

In an industry flooded with options and short attention spans, the difference between being seen and being chosen comes down to how and where your brand shows up.

That’s where Dekkers stands out.

Brands like Heineken, Sierra Nevada, and Corona turn to Dekkers not just for signage, but for brand illumination that turns presence into connection.

Whether it’s a bottle glorifier, digital displays, or a custom mini fridge, Dekkers helps beverage brands make a lasting impression at the exact moment purchase decisions are made.

For ambitious brands ready to move from being seen to being remembered, Dekkers is a partner worth knowing.

📞 +31 (0)40 25 16 789
📧 [email protected]

📞 +1 (212) 561-5869
📧 [email protected]

Let’s make your brand the one they choose, even before they reach the bar.