Lion, owner of iconic NSW beer brand, Tooheys, has launched a new look for its range, with an overhaul of the brand’s packaging, designed by creative agency Weave.
The company says this packing revitalisation has given the beer brand a fresh, modern look, while simultaneously reflecting its rich history and enduring commitment to brewing great, refreshing beer. As the first major update to Tooheys' core packaging since 2015, beverage company Lion says the contemporary new appearance showcases Tooheys’ core brand assets, while still giving a nod to the brand’s 154-year history.
Chris Allan, head of core beer marketing at Lion Australia, said, “Tooheys is a brand that has over a century and a half of stories under its belt – so there is a challenge in moving too far away from the past and our rich legacy. We feel the new packaging pays tribute to our proud heritage as well as modernising in a way that allows the core brand assets to shine.”
Mick Boston, head of design at Lion Australia, said, “Weave and Lion worked incredibly collaboratively on the Tooheys project. It is such a fine line refreshing an iconic brand like Tooheys, retaining all the well-loved memory structures whilst setting the brand up for the future. We’re confident we have created a look that honours our impressive past but keeps the brand moving forward.”
Creative director at Weave, Dan Cookson, said of the evolution, “This wasn’t about throwing yesterday away, we needed to both respect the past and have the courage to move forward, reintroducing it to a new audience while also rekindling the love held by existing Tooheys fans.”
Tooheys Extra Dry required a different approach since it has always been slightly different to the rest of the trademark and it is a clear-bottled, even more refreshing variant, explained the company. The established date has been replaced with a product descriptor and finished with the white diagonal slash that has been a defining element of the beer since its invention in 1994. The stag has been used to connect the Extra Dry product name with the Tooheys wordmark, elevated above the stag.
A sleek, colour-refresh has also been applied to the product label for Tooheys Old, replacing the previous maroon logo to its original all-black colour scheme, complementing the Dark Ale. The new modern design has been rolled out across the entire Tooheys portfolio, including Tooheys Old, Tooheys New and Tooheys Extra Dry.
New design features include:
Red plate and wordmark: Alongside typographer David Foster, a new Tooheys wordmark was crafted, which Tooheys said is imbued with warmth and approachability. The designers felt the humanist quality of the Tooheys wordmark was revived while maintaining a contemporary feel.
The words "NEW," "OLD," and "EXTRA DRY" were crafted from scratch, which the designers explained was to create a cohesive connection between the three product SKUs and the Tooheys wordmark. The final element was to create the foundational brick within the brand system, the striking red plate – which has sat behind the wordmark since the brand's inception.
The Stag: The recognisable symbol of the brand presented a perfect opportunity to embed more Tooheys’ personality and significance. The team wanted the Tooheys stag to reflect the brand's strength and its reliable character, while also feeling alive, strong, and proud. After much research, the team selected a posture known as a ‘stag trippant’, which involves a standing stag with a single hoof elevated. Working with international illustrator Miloš Milovanović, a new stag graphic was crafted reflecting the values of Tooheys, facing forward towards the future, with its head tilted proudly backward in acknowledgment of its past.
Est. date: To give more weight and meaning to this important date, an emotional throughline was established. The new brand asset, 'Legendary Refreshment Since 1869' was created to feature on all Tooheys products, to show consistency over time.
Packaging: Detaching the stag from the Tooheys wordmark allowed the design team to challenge the packaging layout hierarchy. The stag was shifted to the bottom of the label design, finding a natural overlay with the hyper-scaled product names. This layering effect gave the design a much-needed modernity that flows through from packaging to signage, point of sale, and key visuals.
“We’re excited by the reimagined Tooheys design and feel it will resonate with current fans and new Tooheys audiences. Whilst there is a new look packaging, the great Tooheys taste remains unchanged,” added Allan.
