I said that each month I would talk about a piece of work designed by others that I admire. Today, because it is a leap day, I’m commenting on a piece of work that requires a leap of faith! Enter the Tate & Lyle Golden Syrup redesign.
For those outside the UK who may not be familiar with the statistics, this gooey sugary syrup, a mainstay in the (back of) many British food cupboards, very recently underwent a design evolution - rather than a complete overhaul and has caused a furore in the design community to the Church. The original, Christian connotation design (featuring a dead lion killed by Samson and surrounded by bees who made a home in its carcass), has been evolved. The original image, rooted in biblical references, now simply showcases a graphic depiction of a lion's head, ensuring continuity without explicit overtones. The typography has also been reworked for improved legibility, all probably to make it more recognisable and relevant to a progressive multicultural society.
Now, I wasn't a fan of the Burberry redesign a few years ago, where the good stuff seemed lost in favour of me-too clumsy patterning and bolder typography (borne out by the recent design revert). Hence, I’m not an advocate of change just for the sake of change.
However, as I cannot identify the designer of this brand evolution as much as the client, I’d like to say, don’t apologize for it! In my opinion, it's good.
The graphic depiction of the lion sits like a proud icon, in my view comparable to a Johnny Walker redesign level.
All it takes is time for people to adjust, and a new generation will likely adopt it while the change resistance have their say.
If you look at another sweet product like Coca Cola and its crafted evolution over the years, you can see a journey where good assets have been refined, and others lost, all for reasons related to time and relevance.
I understand the Tate & Lyle redesign is a bit of a Marmite topic in the branding world, but let's have some empathy for both the objective and the process and recognize how difficult these things are to get right—something I've learned from over 30 years in this business - it is not easy! #design #packagedesign #rebranding
Managing Director at DNA // Brand & Integrated Marketing Leader // former REI, Backcountry
6moJohn Klopping = enormous talent rooted in the soul of the kindest and most thoughtful person ever. 👏