Bulletproof Gives Aussie Heritage Chocolate Brand Old Gold A New Look

Old Gold is an Australian heritage brand specializing in dark chocolate founded by Macpherson Robertson in 1916. Roberston started making candy in his family’s home during the week in 1880 and would sell them on foot on Friday and Saturday. It was slow going at first, but his enterprise would grow to become the nation’s largest confectioner, and in 1967, his heirs sold the business to Cadbury.

Today, Old Gold remains popular among Aussies but finds itself in a very different world than it did a century ago. Australian consumers still love dark chocolate, but younger chocoholics were turning to newer craft brands. Old Gold felt it needed a fresher look that stood out on a shelf populated with modern brands, so they retained the services of studio Bulletproof to give them a revitalized brand identity.

The agency created a new striking wordmark, using custom typography that gives the characters sharp lines. The dark brown is evocative of the star ingredient and stands boldly against a golden background, a visual element that Bulletproof felt was essential in the refresh.

“Being Old Gold, it could never lose its gold, nor should it have to," the agency said in a press release. "Instead, we injected a new brightness to modernize and elevate." To distinguish the different flavors across the range, Bulletproof chose secondary colors representative of the additional ingredients, using green for Peppermint and purple for Old Jamaica Rum n Raisin, while a toasty brown represents Roast Almond and a luxurious, deep red stands in for Cherry Ripe. Also, Caramel sports a hue remarkably similar to the buttery and sweet filling, while the original Old Gold dons a regal red.

Dominating the front of the new packaging are partial blocks of chocolate, using in-house photography that accentuates the colors, texture, and decadence of Old Gold’s chocolate blocks. Additionally, part of the new visual identity is a distinctive seal featuring an open cocoa pod and leaf. This elegant touch lends it a visual connection to the world of premium chocolates that the legacy brand finds itself in now, as they borrow from the craft aesthetic.

Old Gold also found that the brand refresh gained more importance in the current malaise, as consumers seek an anchor as they are thrashed about by 2020’s turbulence.

“Aussies and Kiwis have been enjoying Cadbury for more than 100 years, so we recognize the value of an amazing heritage brand like Old Gold,” said Paul Chatfield, marketing director for Cadbury in the same press release. “During these challenging times, people are turning to familiar brands they trust, so it was important to modernize Old Gold in a way that was true to the core characteristics of the brand."