Farewell Old Jamaica

If you've seen the new Old Jamaica Ginger Beer packaging, you might have done a double-take.

Gone is the bold, unmistakable identity that made it pop on the shelf, replaced by a stripped-back, modern look that, in our opinion, washes away a lot of what made the brand iconic. There’s modernising, and then there’s erasing.

*At the time of launch, the brand’s website read — “Farewell Old Jamaica” — from last year’s cryptic retirement tease. So, was this just another case of a brand flirting with closure to spark engagement? Or was this new packaging here to stay? It appears, now the dust has settled, that the new packaging is here to stay.

We certainly don't envy those agencies tasked with refreshing heritage brands. Packaging and branding are things we as consumers feel so personally attached to. Weirdly.

For us, this redesign moves too far from the iconic original:
🟠 The rustic orange can is gone.
🌴 The unique palm tree shadows, gone.
𝐎 That traditional 'ye olde' font is now replaced with a modern tattoo font version.

As the world becomes obsessed with AI generation and modernising heritage brands, perhaps the move is to stand still, to stand out.

What do you think of the new packaging?