Ziggurat aims for direct hit

‘A drink for the smart guy in the know,’ is how design group Ziggurat describes the new look Strongbow cider which hits the shelves on 1 May.

Dominated by the new Strongbow yellow, the 440ml can and 330ml bottle were designed to be direct and uncomplicated, underlining refreshment, rather than strength.

‘The new design is significantly more modern and approachable and will enable Strongbow to create significant impact with the broader long alcoholic drinks marketplace,’ explains Sarah Heynen, marketing manager at Bulmers, Strongbow’s parent company.

The objective was also to move the leading cider brand’s spiritual heartland away from the image of the West Country biker and into London, promoting a more popular, sociable and accessible image, focusing on the 18-24 age group.

In a departure from the previous design that was black and heavy, the new packs inject more refreshment values through the yellow colouring. This is in line with Strongbow’s desire to reposition the brand as a young, thirst quenching ‘premier league’ drink to compete with leading lager brands.

The brand name has been turned on its side, using an ownable typeface. ‘The brand name was created to imitate a bow at maximum tension, extra drama being realised by exaggerating the typography through the centre of the arc,’ says Ziggurat creative director Nigel Ritchie.

This combines with the descriptor ‘refreshing crisp taste’ and the iconic badge device consisting of a new archer with an arrowhead, to create a bow and arrow effect. The new bottle is taller with confident shoulders.

Strongbow, which is currently the leading cider in the UK with 20 per cent of the 1.3bn cider industry’s retail value market, is also the 11th best-selling alcoholic drink in the country.

Design: Ziggurat

Client: Strongbow