Strange But True Packaging Design.
Lyle’s in one of the UK’s leading brands of golden syrup, much loved throughout the British Isles. At first glance the visual language of the packaging design captures the heritage and tradition of both the product and the brand. Traditional font design – tick, heritage green, gold and black colours – tick, etching style illustration of a sleeping lion… wait…
On closer inspection it becomes apparent the illustration that adorns this packaging is of a dead lion surrounded by bees. Stranger still is the accompanying caption that reads; ‘Out of the strong came forth sweetness’. Turns out that Abraham Lyle was a man of strong religious beliefs and the dead, bee swarming lion a reference to the Old Testament:
Lyle had strong religious beliefs, which is why the tin’s famous logo depicts strongman Samson’s ‘lion and bees’ from the Bible’s Old Testament, registered as Lyle’s trademark. ‘Out of the strong came forth sweetness’, as the quote goes; where bees produce honey inside the lion’s carcass, rich syrup pours from the well-loved tin… And the logo and design remain unchanged to this day (along with the delicious contents, of course).
The result is a unique and effective brand asset. In our quest to build strong brands that cut-through the competition and engage the customer we are big fans of authenticity. The Lyle’s dead lion symbolism is an example of how brand authenticity can take any form. – in some ways, the more obscure and unexpected the better.
Dave Ansett
David is the founder of Truly Deeply, a brand agency with 25 years of experience working with brands to position them for growth. His deep expertise is in the creation of high engagement brands that attract the attention of their audience and stand out from their competitors. David has extensive experience working with corporate, retail, food & beverage and entrepreneurial clients. Find out more here
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Spotted on Huffington Post: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
Pic courtesy Lyle’s.