New label, old brew

Dating back almost two centuries, Thomas Carling’s beer-making legacy, despite his Yorkshire origins, began in a modest brewery in London, Ontario, Canada. Now, after a rich timeline of transformation and the development of the Carling brand, a new identity seeks to solidify its position as the UK’s premier lager brand.

From small-scale vending to big name mergers, the company’s direction under Molson Coors Brewing Company, since 2005, has resulted in Carling’s most successful era to date. Collaborating with brand design agency, BrandOpus, the new identity aims to build on the brewer’s strong position within the alcoholic drinks market, rolling out a sharpened identity that builds on the brand’s monochrome visual tradition.

The revamp, for Nir Wegrzyn, founder and CEO of BrandOpus, aims to accentuate the key features of Carling’s longstanding identity, keeping the bold typeface and dynamic red streak separating the brand’s well-known colours, yet incorporating a refreshed and vibrant rework into its design. Wegrzyn says, “It was important for us that the new identity be instantly recognisable as Carling, but enough of a visual shift to move the brand perception forward to reinforce their number one status. We organised the brand in a much more consistent way that would appeal to new consumers and loyal drinkers alike.”

Confirming Carling’s industry focus, Jim Shearer, Carling’s brand director, says, “The new identity is simple yet proud, reinforcing Carling’s values - genuine, dependable and unpretentious, cementing and driving our position as Britain’s original and best loved lager."

With sponsorships remaining a key component of Carling’s success, upholding an engaging identity remains central to wider communication strategy at an organisational level. With a tradition of customer facing brand strategy, Carling’s partnerships have seen the brand feature within the British footballing world since 1993. With current sponsorships including the Premier League, Sky and Universal, the new rebrand is scheduled to roll out in stores in March with wider trade assets implementing the new identity throughout 2017.