SCOTLAND’S best-selling beer brand, Tennent’s Lager, has refreshed its can design for the first time since 2018.
The new look aims to make more of the Wellpark Brewery’s place in Scottish culture as one of the country’s oldest businesses, having brewed its original pilsner on the same site since 1885.
Creative partners Thirst were brought in to design a new visual identity that reflects the brand’s heritage in a way ‘that will stand out now and for years to come’.
The design incorporates a greater emphasis on the lager’s locally sourced ingredients, the brewery’s commitment to sustainable practices, and its historic place in Scotland’s communities.
But at the same time, the Thirst team – led by executive creative director, Matt Burns – have retained Tennent’s iconic colour palette, the legendary red ‘T’, and Hugh Tennent’s iconic signature.
“This project is a dream come true,” said Burns. “There’s so much passion for the brand – from our team, from the Tennent’s team, and from everyone in Scotland. We poured all of that into the design.
“It was essential we put the heart that goes into Tennent’s Lager onto the can. We re-visited the beloved iconography, adding depth and richness, and introduced new markers to tell the story of the quality and skill that bring the lager to life and re-energise the brand.
He added: “Scots are known for their optimistic outlook and the brand has always leveraged that energy to create uplifting, meaningful brand conversations. We set out to celebrate and amplify the position that Tennent’s represents in Scottish culture and beyond.”
Getting into the design nitty-gritty, Thirst have embellished the existing keylines round the ‘T’ with a bevelled detail to add depth and craft, helping it stand out. A new barley motif highlights the locally sourced ingredients, which are detailed on the can as: “Fresh Highland water, barley from local Scottish farmers and the perfect balance for herkules hops.”
This new brand identity will roll out throughout Scotland and beyond in the coming days across the brand’s full packaged range. This coincides with the launch of Tennent’s wider brand world, including limited edition glassware featuring illustrations by Tobias Hall.
The new look coincides with the launch of Tennent’s biggest marketing drive in eight years, which includes a brand-new TV commercial, out-of-home advertising and a social media campaign. This is the first piece of work under the new ‘Raised in Scotland’ platform, which will guide the brand for years to come.
C&C’s brand and marketing director (beer), Paul Menzies, said: “Tennent’s Lager is one of Scotland’s most important and enduring brands. When approaching an evolution of its visual identity, we wanted to respect that history and heritage whilst looking to embrace more current trends and design elements.
“Thirst creates design and branding that goes beyond the aesthetic into what the brand really means to people. A lot of work goes into delivering that and it’s reflected in the output. Over and above this, the team were a pleasure to work with throughout and sought to collaborate in a spirit that does justice to our brand icon.
“This is not so much a revolution, but an evolution, and everything that is immediately recognised about Tennent’s Lager is still featured within the packaging and design. We want to make the arrival of a new Tennent’s Lager can an event to get people talking.”
