Carling introduces new badge design with football-inspired refresh

Updating its identity to fit in with modern British beer culture, heritage lager Carling sought the help of long-term collaborators BrandOpus. The global branding agency focused on the language of community, quality and heritage, crafting a badge that evokes the brand’s football DNA.

Carling recognised a need to shift gears following big changes in the beer category over the past 10 years. To strengthen its cultural relevance, the project with BrandOpus looked to build on its relationship with the nation’s football-loving community.

Acting as a distinctive new asset for Carling, the badge underlines its core brand purpose of “bringing mates together,” according to Paul Taylor, CCO and co-founder at BrandOpus. Representing shared identity, pride and connection, the badge ties the brand back into the world of football while connecting Carling with its roots.

The design incorporates illustrations celebrating the brand’s heritage, including the historic Carling Brewery, the Burton Bridge and the British barley used to make the lager. An embossed ‘Burton-Upon-Trent’ detailing near the base of the new pint glass, along with the signature of Carling founder and original brewer, Thomas Carling, further evokes the brand’s heritage.

"This is much more than a packaging refresh," says Ryan McLaughlin, brand director for Carling at Molson Coors. "As consumer expectations continue to evolve, it's important that iconic brands evolve too. This is the latest step in Carling's evolution, building on the strengths that have made it the leading core lager brand in Great Britain, while creating a bolder, more contemporary identity for the future.”