Updated 2 months ago
Golden syrup rebrand sparks debate
By Aaron Toumazou, Editor at LinkedIn NewsUpdated 2 months ago
Lyle's Golden Syrup recently stirred controversy by replacing its iconic logo, featuring a dead lion surrounded by bees, with a modernised lion's head. The original, inspired by a biblical tale, holds a Guinness World Record for being the world's oldest unchanged brand packaging. However, the decision to switch things up has caused much debate on LinkedIn. While some say the new logo has diluted the product, others believe the new design fits better within its category, and that dropping old references opens it up to new consumers. Many also highlight the decision to only update plastic packaging while keeping the old logo on classic tins. Sceptics interpret the move as "an attempt to please everyone and achieve nothing", though some suggest it is a more calculated approach to dial up the nostalgia factor of its tinned product.
What are your thoughts on the Lyle's Golden Syrup rebrand? Read more views in the posts below and join the conversation in the comments.
Unique perspectives from professionals around the world
Read and share thoughts with a community that collaborates and helps each other
Join the community
Stop! Enough, No more critiques and visuals of what you think Tate & Lyle syrup packaging should look like. How many of those criticizing the new squeezy version actually buy golden syrup or even have a rusty old can of the product at the back of their cupboards. For me it’s a nostalgic childhood memory and I think there are more important things to get excited or irate about in the current world in which we live. Just sayin’!
Out of the strong comes forth the saccharine. Tate & Lyle Sugars have changed the branding of their melty sugar*. Turns out I have strong opinions about it/Golden Syrup. Or maybe I have strong opinions about the world's oldest unchanged brand (until now). In all honesty, I had no idea Lyle's Golden Syrup held this accolade. But I would guess I’m not alone in fondly** remembering it as a cupboard staple. The move to change the brand may appear to make sense to some: - To modernise - To make less exclusionary - To appeal to broader markets - To feel more welcoming/appealing And I understand the rebrand retains particular, recognisable assets. And I presume the move is supported by rigour and research. And I get things need to change/evolve/improve. But to do so here is confusing. To have two different versions across different formats (the tin I hold so dear will keep the picture of the decomposing lion corpse on for posterity), and to seemingly throw away 150+ years of history (read brand equity) feels like an attempt to please everyone and achieve nothing. Any change to branding is fraught with challenge, caution, and confusion (evidently). Am I right to feel disproportionately fired up about this one? [ Clearly the big bosses at Tate & Lyle think so. As they didn’t risk uproar*** of rebranding pre-pancake day 🥞] *I don’t understand syrup **as fondly as one can about a syrup ***like a lion - you’re welcome
Uh oh. What happened to Lyle’s Golden Syrup? The tin isn’t changing thankfully (phew) But, Michael Wolff once told Lyle’s not to change a thing after being approached for a redesign. This actually made me think. Do designers and agencies challenge briefs enough? Are brand directors always right? 🤔 and who holds responsibility for bad design choices? Has anyone ever encountered a situation like this? (The Johnson&Johnson corporate rebrand comes to mind) Have you ever had to say no?
POKE THE LION . . . As everybody else is wading in with their opinions on the Tate & Lyle Golden Syrup brand make-over, I thought I'd have a quick bash at what might have been a stepping stone design towards where the product could be heading rather than the baby and bathwater situation in which the brand currently finds itself. I'm all for dropping any religious connotation from the brand, it's irrelevant, but how lovely that the Church of England had the time to set aside its many issues and jump in to add its voice to the divided opinions of this redesign. For my two spoonfuls of sugar: Wake up the lion and crown it. Ditch the bees - this ain't honey, the bees are misleading. Delve into the incredible provenance of this brand and flag up a Uk-centric timeline. Forgive the inclusion of myself in this timeline, but I am adding to the story . . . Haters - bring it on!
"Out of the debate came conflict and confusion." The discussion around the changes to the look of Lyle's Golden Syrup has highlighted yet again wildly differing viewpoints amongst design, branding and marketing professionals. When it comes to how brands work, there are underlying principles but no one, coherent truth. (Other views are available.) As Walter Landor said, brands are created in the mind. This happens through a mixture of exposure, experience and associations. Each of us has acquired our own unique combination of these, which is in turn coloured by our own individual values. In my personal life, I tend to place most brands into one of three categories: - peanuts - plumbers - Porsches 1️⃣ Peanuts (value driven) These are the everyday, inexpensive staples that we have in our kitchens, bathrooms and workplaces. When it comes to these, I'm essentially a satisficer. I want something that's good enough at a reasonable price. I'm especially fond of peanut butter, red wine and real coffee. While I might occasionally enjoy even better versions of these when I'm out and about - or on special occasions - I'm happy with my good quality, mid range choices. They're pretty tasty but not too expensive. They do the job well enough. 2️⃣ Plumbers (reputation and reliability driven) If I'm buying a service, I go first and foremost on personal recommendations. If I don't have any, I look online for social proof, ie reviews and testimonials. Once I've used a service, I'll form my own view. If they've done a good job at a reasonable price, I'll stick with them. I'm loyal to my plumber and my pc support guy, because I know they're efficient and reliable. Why would I risk switching? 3️⃣ Porsches (status, identity and dream driven) These are the high ticket holidays, cars and designer clothes that are a very personal, aspirational lifestyle choice - for those who can afford them. - I'm not interested in designer clothes but I do like my 501s. - I quite like the idea of a Porsche but make do with a 15 year old BMW. - I own four high quality bicycles - two are custom built British, two are stylish Italian jobs. They're my main indulgence, but not ridiculously expensive. Of course, this is a very rational articulation of how I think I see and choose the brands that I buy. No doubt my subconscious has a significant influence on the choices I make. Strong brands build deep, emotionally resonant associations and connections. It's not easy to decipher how much influence the different component parts of a brand have upon consumers. Which is what makes brand strategy endlessly fascinating and challenging. Whether we're debating the impact of rotting lions or red bulls.
“Out of the strong came forth sweetness” Lyle's Golden Syrup is rebranding, and the original image of a dead lion swarming with bees is being retired, except for the original golden syrup tins. It tells the story of Samson killing a lion with his bare hands in the Old Testament, which was then surrounded by a swarm of bees: the result of a very religious brand founder. While the brand packaging has held a Guinness World Record for the longest-standing unchanged pack design, the question remains: is it something to boast about when the main illustration is of a dead animal? Personally, I know that most brands would kill (a lion) for the heritage credentials and the iconic design that they've held onto for 141 years - but why did it have to be a dead animal in the first place?! Do you agree with this rebrand? Share your thoughts! Source: https://lnkd.in/dPuYn9XB
THE BIT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT... The original Golden Syrup tin is not only authentic, it's totally recyclable. In contrast the new 'squeezy pack' is made from a clear PET with an HDPE cap and, no doubt, a silicon valve in the base. One couldn't choose a more material-heavy pack to deliver a liquid product - all based on perceived consumer convenience at the breakfast table. Look at the size of that cap!! If there was ever a structural packaging design that needed to be deleted in order to deliver a more eco - friendly option it would be this. Wouldn't it have been great if Tate and Lyle had commissioned a project to make their distinctive and ownable tin more convenient for new consumers and uses? Maybe they could have celebrated the use of a branded spoon (or proprietary device) to apply their delicious sugary topping to porridge. I remember, as a child just LOVING how long it took to dribble a spoonful of Golden Syrup onto a pancake and watch it gradually heat up and flow over the surface. I wasn't interested in speed or upside-down plastic bottles, I was seduced by plunging a spoon into the treacly depths of golden indulgence with the promise and anticipation of that unique taste and overwhelming sweetness. These brand experiences are something you just can't value enough - spending time with a bespoke spoon and associated ritual, or engaging in a satisfying and memorable way to open and close the pack, would have been a far better way to spend marketing budgets IMO. Look how different a hypothetical tin pack could deliver standout alongside the bland, plastic competition. You don't need to squeeze, you just need to have a great method of delivering this product in a way that resonates with a new contemporary consumer without losing the historic, emotional connection and provenance of this iconic brand. I'm not proposing this is the answer ( I haven't been commissioned or payed to spend time to consider fully) but it's a direction that I would have advocated before choosing to go down the route they have done. (Thanks to Liz Jones for the line-up image which I blatantly copied & pasted before amending)
Did you see the 'sticky' situation Tate & Lyle got into this week, as they launched their golden syrup rebrand?? 🍯 If you haven't here's a little summary: 👀 After 150 years of the same branding across their infamous golden syrup, Tate & Lyle launched a new look, and came under fire across the media & social media. 🦁 There was quite literally up'roar' over the change in the long-standing-lion, which originated from a story in the bible that was dear to the founder's heart. I've taken a moment to reflect on their comms around the rebrand and give you some practical tips on how to navigate communicating changes in your own business, charity or organisation. Swipe for a summary of my "Golden" rules. ➡ Head to: https://lnkd.in/eQW7bzp3 for the full blog post! 💭 What do you think about the rebrand?? #LylesGoldenSyrup #Communications #Comms #BusinessComms
Stirring the pot may spell sticky business Tate & Lyle's recent rejig of its iconic golden syrup packaging, certainly stirs the pot of people’s opinions. But trading the storied Christian-inspired lion logo for a design ostensibly aimed at courting #GenZ consumers threatens to dissolve the rich sensory tapestry that has long defined this venerable brand. #Consumerbehaviour expert Dr Pantea Foroudi and #sensorybranding specialist Dr Dongmei Zha at Brunel Business School offer their take on the controversial rebrand… The heart of the uproar lies not just in the visual amputation of Tate & Lyle's heritage but in the erosion of a sensory legacy that has sweetened the British kitchen for over a century. The original lion logo, steeped in biblical narrative and #brandhistory since 1883, meant more than an emblem, it was a visual feast that connected consumers to a narrative as rich and layered as the syrup itself. This imagery now threatened with dilution, risks rendering Tate & Lyle's golden nectar indistinguishable in a sea of sameness, sacrificing its distinct aroma of tradition for uncertain appeal to contemporary tastes. This rebranding gambit risks alienating a dedicated consumer base, those who have grown up with the comforting, familiar sight of the golden tin amidst the morning rush, its contents pouring out like liquid gold. For many, this change could convert the breakfast table from a place of warm nostalgia to one of stark unfamiliarity, driving them into the arms of competitors who still cherish the allure of tradition. Rebranding also casts doubt over its intended effect on the Gen Z demographic, a group motivated by the deep, resonant flavours of sustainability, ethical sourcing and corporate responsibility. Should Tate & Lyle's new packaging fail to address these appetites, its attempt to resonate with these consumers might prove as insubstantial as a poorly mixed batter, lacking the substance needed to truly satisfy. The cautious dance around #culturalsensitivity to strip away the original logo's religious undertones might come across as an overzealous nod to political correctness, especially if the previous design had not soured people's taste. This raises a poignant question: Is the flavour of modernity worth forsaking the rich heritage that has seasoned Tate & Lyle's golden syrup for generations? While the impulse to adapt and appeal to new tastes is understandable, Tate & Lyle's current strategy teeters on the brink of forsaking its very essence. Rebranding will hinge not just on attracting new palates, but also on preserving the sensory memories and loyalties of those who have long cherished its presence in their kitchens. As Tate & Lyle navigates this delicate balance between innovation and tradition, it is clear: the brand's legacy is too precious to dilute in pursuit of fleeting trends. The future of Britain's culinary heritage hangs in the balance, a reminder some flavours, once lost, are impossible to recapture.