Imperial Leather revives iconic crown and ribbon with new identity

The heritage British shower and bathing brand, owned by PZ Cussons, evolved over the years, but moved away from the original iconography that helped it to stand out. Imperial Leather joined forces with UK-based independent agency Brandon to create a new identity that is rooted in ‘abundance.’

Based on the idea of duality and tension, the new design aims to re-establish brand recognition and desirability for consumers who have started to look elsewhere for soap products. It balances the heritage with the modernity, the sophisticated with the accessible, says Katie Rowley, design director at Brandon.

The rebrand refreshes the crown icon, lost over the years in design changes, to boost brand image and reaffirm its quality credentials. The new design also brings back the red ribbon as a key asset.

By resetting the colour palette to red and gold in front of a new ‘paper white’ background, the logo stands out more on bottles and packaging. A secondary palette conveys fragrance, with each SKU adopting its own colour and specific elements of water drops, scents and swirling lather.

Brandon set clear guidelines for the brand’s typography, having different typefaces for distinct applications from headlines to body copy to back-of-pack text. Each typeface was chosen to modernise the brand while staying rooted in heritage. A custom ligature was added for a touch of softness and flowing movement, emulating the water and lather of Imperial Leather’s products. Meanwhile, a new ampersand plays into the duality of fragrances. The ‘Ultimate Moisture’ wordmark gives this sub-brand a distinct personality while still complementing the overall identity of Imperial Leather.

Packaging is strategically cohesive across different product ranges, yet distinct in its own right, from soap to shower to bath, making it feel like a family under the new identity.