Tennent’s celebrates proud Scottish heritage with vibrant new identity

Iconic Scottish beer brand Tennent’s is set to undergo a cosmetic transformation for the first time in five years with a vibrant new can design that celebrates the lager’s rich history and connection with Scotland.

Working with its global creative partner Thirst, Tennent’s aimed to create an instantly recognisable design that ‘celebrates’ its status as a ‘Scottish icon’.

The quality of Tennent’s lager will be emphasised through the use of a richer yellow, which will in turn amplify the trademark red ‘T’ at the heart of the can. A new barley motif will also help tell the story of the brand’s locally sourced ingredients, with text on the can reading: “Fresh Highland water, barley from local Scottish farmers and the perfect balance for herkules hops.”

“This project is a dream come true. 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,” Thirst executive creative director, Matt Burns said.

“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.

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He continued: “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.”

Coinciding with the brand’s biggest marketing drive in eight years, the new visual identity will be pushed out via a range of TV, out-of-home and social media executions. The campaign will mark the brand’s first work under the ‘Raised in Scotland’ brand platform, which is set to define Tennent’s identity for years to come.

C&C brand and marketing director of beer, Paul Menzies added: “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.

Concluding, he said: “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.”