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A Modernized Rebrand From Colt 45

by Chloe Gordon on 06/10/2021 | 2 Minute Read

Colt 45 is a malt liquor from the United States that the National Brewing Company introduced in early 1963. The classic brand was recently rebranded to continue its evolution towards becoming a drink that people are proud to be holding. Designed by Standard Black, the rebrand is elegant and modern while still supporting the original branding and packaging design elements. With the typography reigning supreme and the red colt remaining on the bottom left of the label, the classics are still there, just in a more modernized approach. A rebrand is never easy to pull off, but I'd argue that this is a rebrand done seemingly effortlessly.


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Colt 45 drinkers know who they are, and they know their lager. But for loyal fans everywhere, their brand of choice was in need of an update, and some of its past identity – “Works Every Time” we’re looking at you – did not age well. Colt came to Standard Black with a challenge; refresh the brand, with respect.

It’s a drink people are proud to hold in their hand. Standard Black set out to make it look the part. Completely redesigning the brand’s visual world from the ground up, refining the elements that worked, redefining the rest.

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And it didn’t stop there. The brand voice needed an evolution too. A way of talking to people – and talking about the product – that stays true to the well-earned swagger at the core of Colt, but with an approach that works better in the here and now. By losing one very loaded word, and finding a truly authentic no-BS tone, Standard Black helped Colt 45 change the game without changing their classic flavor.

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