Somersby Label Redesign – a Necessity or a Risky Experiment? by David Brbaklic

Somersby – Europe’s most favorite apple cider, produced under the Carlsberg umbrella announced the launch of a new, redesigned bottle. The agency responsible for the facelift is Taxi Studio from Bristol, UK. After the announcement a question was raised whether the redesign was really necessary, as the brand had already secured it’s position on the market the way it is, and managed to establish itself as an iconic apple cider manufacturer among the minds of the consumers.

Anne Brøndsted Nielsen, Marketing Manager at Somersby International had an unambiguous stand on this topic: “Just like our target group we are not afraid of change and we are big fans of great design. We know that our original design was one of the contributing factors to Somersby’s success. So when we needed to upgrade the design our brief to Taxi was to not only retain the iconic, ‘summery Somersby’ feel, but to actually make it even stronger.”

Photo: packagingoftheworld.com

According to Anne Nielsen, Taxi studio was also briefed with the task of creating a robust brand architecture which would allow easy introduction of new flavors. The studio created additional internal requirements that implied creation of a label that, as Spencer Buck, Creative Director at Taxi explains, makes it easier to distinguish different versions of the drink, as well as strengthens the brand.

Casey Sampson, Senior Designer at Taxi also commented on the benefits of the redesign: ”Somersby is also made warmer and more summery thanks to the sun that shines through the apple tree and the introduction of the ladder that adds a degree of intrigue and fun. Last but not least the new embossed bottle strengthens the premium feel of the brand.”

A new, premium version of Somersby has also been created by Taxi. It is dubbed Somersby Double Press, and is expected to hit the shelves in May 2012.

Photo: packagingoftheworld.com

Personally, I think the agency has done a great job. Not as much with the standard version of Somersby, as with the Double Press version. The bold use of various typography combined with the premium feel of the black and gold colorway is a complete success, and just confirmed Carlsberg’s constant pursuit of great design for its subsidiary brands. Even the standard version was redone in such a subtle way that the initial fears and doubt about the redesign initiative were completely irrational. How do you feel about the new label? Tell us your opinion in the comment area below.