Refreshing the look of a brand that has been on the market for more than a century while preserving what makes it recognizable to consumers was the task facing agency Bulletproof, which developed a new visual identity and packaging design for Cadbury Old Gold. The project was carried out in collaboration with Mondelēz International, which aims to expand the consumer base of one of Australia’s best-known dark chocolate brands.
Old Gold was created in 1916 in Melbourne by MacRobertson’s Confectionery and today holds a leading position in the Australian dark chocolate market. Although the brand maintains a strong connection with its existing customers, Mondelēz identified an opportunity to bring it closer to a younger generation while preserving an identity built over decades.
The starting point for the redesign was the idea Rich in Character, based on the chocolate’s intense flavor and the character of the brand itself. The creative team found inspiration in founder Sir Macpherson Robertson, whose distinctive creative style and approach to presenting products served as the basis for a contemporary interpretation of the visual identity.
The new design introduces refreshed gold elements, a clearer visual hierarchy on the packaging, and carefully crafted graphic details. The changes are aimed at making the products more noticeable on retail shelves while also ensuring greater consistency in the presentation of different products across the range.
According to Mark Armstrong, Executive Creative Director APAC at Bulletproof, the key challenge was to translate the richness of flavor, confidence, and distinctive character of Old Gold into a design that would be relevant to today’s consumers. Drawing inspiration from Robertson’s creative legacy enabled the development of a more contemporary identity without abandoning the brand’s history.
The redesign follows a period of growth for Old Gold, during which the brand sought to attract new consumer groups. Among its more recent activities was a collaboration with Australian brand Bundaberg on the product Old Gold inspired by Bundaberg Rum, which, according to the company, attracted new consumers.
For Bulletproof, which has worked with Mondelēz International for years, the new identity represents a continuation of its work on developing a brand whose market position is built on long-standing recognition. This time, the focus is on how to preserve that recognition while adapting the visual language to the generation of consumers Old Gold aims to reach.
