Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s contemporary new brand

Canadian alcohol retailer’s emphasis on social alcohol consumption contributes to an attractive new brand.

The LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) is a government enterprise and alcohol retailer serving consumers and licensed establishments in over 80 countries. The LCBO’s new brand includes a new tagline, ‘Let’s get together’.

A video on the LCBO’s new website shows an attractive group of friends socialising, it is this fun and casual atmosphere that the enterprise wishes to align itself with. These qualities are also reflected in the new logo, a clean and contemporary wordmark. The LCBO’s colour scheme has also changed to better fit the fashionable and modern new brand.

The LCBO’s previous brand was losing efficiency ,and its logo, with the grapevine in the background, was frequently associated with wine rather than reflecting LCBO’s wider offering.
As a government agency, public perception is very important to the LCBO, while competition is less of an issue – Ontario is only served alcohol by two corporations, LCBO and The Beer Store (a privately owned chain).

Since its low-key launch, the rebrand has received overwhelmingly positive feedback despite some disagreement in Ontario with regards to the way alcohol is distributed. Recently the Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA) has been lobbying MPPs to loosen liquor licensing laws and bring beer and wine into corner shops.