Design Bridge overhauls Beefeater bottle and label

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and gin arm of Pernod Ricard, is giving Beefeater Gin’s iconic bottle shape and branding an overhaul as part of a global push for the beverage.

Design Bridge is responsible for the brand’s new identity and squarer, more modern bottle shape, which still accentuates Beefeater Gin’s historic London roots.

The bottle’s labels have retained the imagery of a Yeoman Warder, though he is now striding forward more purposefully and has lost some of his ornate livery.

The background design is also simpler, featuring opaque imagery of the capital’s landmarks as opposed to the detailed line drawing of the Tower of London which previously adorned the bottles.

Design Bridge group strategy partner Simon Black says the design is about contemporising the brand and must be seen in the context of global markets. ‘It’s all about relevance,’ he says. ‘In key markets, Beefeater is a modern product and we aligned the design with the aspirational view of London.’

Nick Blacknell, brand director for Beefeater Gin, explains, ‘The new packaging is a bold move that positions Beefeater as a contemporary brand.

The new advertising has a distinctive and impactful look which we believe will stand out against both our competitors and the spirit category in general.’

The revamp ties into a global advertising campaign by Publicis, straplined ‘Forever London’, which uses cultural London icons, including a ‘1960s girl’ and a man in a bowler hat, to reinforce the brand’s contemporary message.

Every Christmas, the Tower of London’s Yeoman Warders receive a case of Beefeater Gin.

BEEFEATER BACKGROUND

• Previous owner Allied Domecq gave Beefeater its first packaging revamp in 20 years in 2001
• Sold to Pernod Ricard in 2005
• Available in more than 170 countries
• Images in the Forever London ad campaign include red London buses, the Houses of Parliament and black cabs
• The first female Beefeater in the Guard’s 522-year history was appointed last month