Surely Dirty Turns the "Dirty Shirley" Into a Ready-to-Drink Brand With Digital Silk

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Surely Dirty, a new ready-to-drink cocktail brand, has brought the Dirty Shirley to market in a canned format with a complete brand identity and website created by Digital Silk. The project took the founder's original idea and developed it into a consumer-ready brand, including its trademarked logo, visual identity, brand book and website.

The brand takes the familiar Shirley Temple-inspired cocktail and gives it an adult twist, with real vodka, 0g sugar and 90 calories per can. Digital Silk built the identity around 1950s pin-up nostalgia and contemporary visual cues designed to appeal to both consumers familiar with the original drink and younger audiences discovering it through social media.

Turning a Familiar Drink Into a Distinct Brand

Founder Sierra Harris approached Digital Silk with an idea, not an established business. The Dirty Shirley had strong cultural recognition, but no ready-to-drink brand had claimed the concept.

Digital Silk evaluated the ready-to-drink category and mapped competing brands to identify where Surely Dirty could stand out. The resulting brand strategy centered on one tension: the drink you grew up with, given a grown-up twist.

That idea carries through the name, messaging and visual identity. "Shirley" retains the connection to the familiar drink, while "Dirty" signals the addition of vodka and establishes the brand as an adult beverage.

Pin-Up Nostalgia Meets a Younger Visual Style

The brand needed to appeal to two audiences: consumers who already know the Dirty Shirley and younger consumers who encounter the drink through social media and contemporary culture.

Harris wanted the brand to draw on retro style and 1950s pin-up imagery. Digital Silk translated that direction into a visual system using cherry red, polka dots, sparkle stars, bubble animations and retro-inspired lifestyle photography, keeping the nostalgic references while avoiding a childish look.

The identity also needed to work beyond the initial launch. Digital Silk created a brand book that defines logo use, typography, color, iconography and image direction across the can, website and future brand applications.

A Name and Logo Built for the Shelf and Screen

Digital Silk helped develop Surely Dirty's visual identity, including a trademarked wordmark.

The logo uses bold white script with a deep red shadow and a small heart accent. Its design works across the physical can, digital channels and smaller applications such as social media and thumbnails.

The brand's product messaging also puts its core selling points in clear view: real vodka, 0g sugar, bold cherry flavor, no artificial colors and 90 calories per can.

From Cocktail Idea to Consumer-Ready Brand

Digital Silk extended the brand into a website designed to introduce Surely Dirty, explain the product and give visitors a direct path to purchase. An animated hero leads into product storytelling, serving facts and the founder's story, while a community sign-up gives the brand a way to build a direct audience.

Together with the purchase path and product information, the website gives the new RTD brand a digital presence built for launch.

"A Dirty Shirley is already a story people know. We needed to take that familiar reference and give it a personality of its own on the shelf," said Emily Harris, VP at Digital Silk. "We leaned into the nostalgia, but pushed the identity far enough that Surely Dirty could stand on its own as a modern RTD brand."

Digital Silk took Surely Dirty from one idea to a complete brand, giving the new RTD company a defined identity across its product, marketing and digital presence.

Build a consumer goods web design that works for your business with Digital Silk. 

About Digital Silk
Digital Silk is an award-winning Digital Marketing Agency focused on growing brands online. With a team of seasoned experts, Digital Silk delivers digital experiences through strategic branding, custom web design and digital marketing services to help improve visibility and support engagement.

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SOURCE Digital Silk