Ribena Pours A New Look That’s Juicy, Yet Berry Familiar

Image courtesy of Elmwood, featured with permission

Ribena is pouring a fresh look into its iconic bottles, tapping into both nostalgia and shelf appeal with a fresh identity that leans into what people already love about the drink. The British blackcurrant staple has unveiled a new visual direction—one that feels as familiar as a sip from childhood but with just enough zing to catch the modern consumer’s eye.

Partnering with design agency Elmwood, Ribena’s overhaul builds on the idea of  “familiar difference,” so the key isn’t to reinvent but to refine.

Video courtesy of Elmwood, featured with permission

From the typography to the fruit imagery, each detail has been carefully reworked to heighten recognition while giving the brand a more premium, vibrant edge.

The pulp of the refresh is a bolder wordmark and color palette that embraces Ribena’s fruity heritage with a juicier, more indulgent feel, without drifting too far from what makes Ribena, well, Ribena.

Image courtesy of Elmwood, featured with permission

The revamp follows one of the brand’s most comprehensive consumer insight initiatives to date. Beginning in September 2023, the team gathered feedback from over 1,000 people through focus groups, ethnographic studies and quantitative research. The goal: understand what gives Ribena its distinct identity and figure out how to modernize it without diluting its essence.

The fruit of those efforts is packaging that uses deeper contrasts, more prominent visuals, and a touch of gold to add polish while remaining grounded in its blackcurrant roots.

Image courtesy of Elmwood, featured with permission

There’s also a typographic shift. Working with designer Luke Ritchie, the refreshed wordmark now sits on a straight baseline, bringing structure to the logo without losing its energy. The letterforms have been softened and thickened to echo the juiciness of the fruit, trading sharp edges for fluid curves. Ribena’s signature red returns as a point of pride, reinforcing brand trust while tying back to its long-standing visual DNA.

Currant affairs

Image courtesy of Elmwood, featured with permission

According to Elmwood, the new packaging has already shown promising results in consumer testing, with gains in spontaneous recall and purchase intent. And while much has changed visually, the message remains constant: this is still the Ribena you remember—it’s just a little better dressed for today’s shelf. For a drink so tied to memory, that balance of heritage and update might be exactly what it needs to stay front of mind (and fridge).

[via Elmwood, video and images courtesy and featured with permission]