Hall & Woodhouse-owned Badger Beer is getting new branding in one of the biggest changes in the brand’s 240-year history.
The rebrand, which has cost £1.25m, includes a new logo and packaging, new integrated marketing communications and a refreshed website.
The new, six-strong Badger range comprises Tangle Foot, Fursty Ferret, Golden Champion, Hopping Hare, The Cranborne Poacher and The Blandford Fly. All the beers are available in 500ml glass bottles.
Tangle Foot, Fursty Ferret and Badger Best Bitter are also available on cask, exclusively in Hall & Woodhouse’s pub estate across the South of England, and Tangle Foot and Fursty Ferret are in 500ml cans.
The packaging features a new Badger logo which emphasises the brand’s heritage and Dorset provenance, alongside its iconic, thoughtful-looking badger which now takes centre stage. The logo has been moved to the more prominent neck label to give each bottle its own individual identity. The bottles also now carry an embossed established date of 1777, furthering the brand’s quality cues.
Anthony Woodhouse, managing director of Hall & Woodhouse, said: “We are extremely proud of our family’s 240-year brewing heritage in crafting a diverse range of characterful beers and are delighted to be unveiling our new look Badger identity and range to bring this further to life.
“The marketplace has moved on at pace in the last few years and it was time to update our brand, making it more contemporary and relevant to the evolving beer consumer. Our range of crafted beers appeal to many different tastes, drinking occasions and seasons, and we needed to reflect this in our brand and packaging.”
Depth of history
Gwen Ridsdale, head of marketing and sales at Badger Beer, added: “We spent a lot of time listening to our customers, shoppers and consumers, and took this opportunity to re-focus the brand and make more of what Badger Beer stands for. Our beers have been brewed in Dorset since 1777, by the independently owned Hall & Woodhouse family, yet our research showed that not everyone was aware of the depth and richness of this genuine history.
“Our products now contain many more references to our rich Dorset heritage: for example, our previous product, Poacher’s Choice, is now called The Cranborne Poacher, after a local Dorset village. Likewise, Blandford Flyer has been renamed back to its original name of Blandford Fly as this nasty little fly, resident to Blandford, Dorset, with a sting in its tail, is what inspired this beer, with its uniquely sweet yet spicy ginger kick.
“We have also reduced the ABV of two of our products without compromising on taste: Golden Champion has been reduced from 5% to 4.5% and Tangle Foot cask from 5% to 4.7%, in response to consumer drinking trends.
“We are focused on building on the brand’s rich heritage and positioning it for continued success and growth over the next 240 years.”
