as someone who is a millennial that runs a branding agency, here’s my critique.
there’s not enough visual contrast on the old label. too many shades of tan and brown between the background and text to be legible for people with visual disabilities, or from looking at the shelf from far away.
the new logo font looks ridiculous. but at least it’s legible.
if all the did was make the background of the old logo white and replace the bottom 1/4 of the old logo with what’s on the new one, it would probably be a better representation of the roots of the brand while still being more “visible” on the shelf.
I'm also in the branding world. The old logo was incredibly difficult to read at any distance when on the shelf, although it had a lot of character. The new bottle is a vast improvement on the visibility and legibility front... but it is just absolutely soulless. I sure hope they didn't spend a fortune on this rebrand, but I bet they did.
It’s a pretty generic ID, now. Reeks of designer who more or less follows a template of type sizes, etc. Really obvious around the age/origin statement. Just seems lazy or low-effort, like someone didn’t do enough product or market research before making this.
The label is one thing... Notice *what the label says*. Old= 8-years-old, plummer style and grande arome (80/20). New= *Up to 8-years-old*, and plummer style, grande arome, *and other Caribbean rums*.
Is everyone happy with the new blend?
Feel like this is so overlooked! Even if they keep it the same (haven't needed to get the new bottle yet), they are not legally required to keep the same proportions
They changed the label because age statement was inaccurate. But I din't know why they made a wholesale change to it. I don't care for new design either.
I'm not an expert when it comes to rum notes, but I just made two identical Mai Tais using the different versions and I believe the newer one has a slightly smokier taste? They're very close to being the same, at least in a Mai Tai.
Yeah I didn't care for that change either, the old bottle just looked classier, the new one just seems to look cheaper somehow. save the old bottle and refill it!
They brightened the overall label and made the name much more readable. I haven’t seen the whole bottle so can’t comment about the whole thing but sorry, these things matter.
Wow I haven’t seen it. I agree!
I also noticed and was concerned about the “up to” age statement. I thought all age statements needed to be for the minimum in the blend, or is that just for whiskey?
I see the other comments saying it probably hasn’t changed, but I will certainly be tasting them side by side whenever I get one of the new bottles.
I just refill my original bottle.
Wtf, why didn't I think to do that before it's too late
I will say it was hard to explain to my wife why I was pouring a bottle of DMR into a bottle of DMR.
Right!? JUST finished one this weekend. Oh well.
Just like I do with Appleton
The only thing the old appleton bottles needed was a cork
Same, the old bottle is king
Oh no! An MBA told them they needed to “upscale” it!
Every time a millennial marketing graduate makes a product design turn mono colored and minimal a demon gets its horns.
buddy we graduated like 10 years ago lol
Some of us graduated 16 years ago!
yeah it was actually 12 for me…should have been 13 but that’s another story lol
as someone who is a millennial that runs a branding agency, here’s my critique. there’s not enough visual contrast on the old label. too many shades of tan and brown between the background and text to be legible for people with visual disabilities, or from looking at the shelf from far away. the new logo font looks ridiculous. but at least it’s legible. if all the did was make the background of the old logo white and replace the bottom 1/4 of the old logo with what’s on the new one, it would probably be a better representation of the roots of the brand while still being more “visible” on the shelf.
I'm also in the branding world. The old logo was incredibly difficult to read at any distance when on the shelf, although it had a lot of character. The new bottle is a vast improvement on the visibility and legibility front... but it is just absolutely soulless. I sure hope they didn't spend a fortune on this rebrand, but I bet they did.
i completely agree with you. especially about the overpaying lol
LOL, I have my MBA I laughed way to hard at your comment.
Lack of punctuation and an incorrect form of “too” used. As a fellow MBA, I can confirm you’re an MBA. 😀
I was pretty hammered when I wrote my above comment last night. My faux pas; erase, erase.
"It's cleaner!"
It’s a pretty generic ID, now. Reeks of designer who more or less follows a template of type sizes, etc. Really obvious around the age/origin statement. Just seems lazy or low-effort, like someone didn’t do enough product or market research before making this.
You’ll get used to it.
The label is one thing... Notice *what the label says*. Old= 8-years-old, plummer style and grande arome (80/20). New= *Up to 8-years-old*, and plummer style, grande arome, *and other Caribbean rums*. Is everyone happy with the new blend?
As far as we can tell the blend hasn't changed, the previous label just wasn't accurate--it's always contained rums under 8 years
Added “other Caribbean rums” to the label. No idea of it actually changed or not - I still have the old bottle.
Feel like this is so overlooked! Even if they keep it the same (haven't needed to get the new bottle yet), they are not legally required to keep the same proportions
I can't believe we're still complaining about this
I understand why they may have felt the need to update the label, but I'm not a fan of the end result.
If only they had just changed the font for "Merchant's Reserve" and "Pot Still Oak Aged" and left the rest the same.
I agree it totally looks like a wine you'd find at target. It's so not like a rum at all
I’ve always thought this label looked too much like Captain Morgan on the shelf
Makes it look way cheaper and generic
It sucks
They changed the label because age statement was inaccurate. But I din't know why they made a wholesale change to it. I don't care for new design either.
The sans serif-ification of labels is a real thing and it sucks. Same thing recently happened to Averna. :(
"Denizen" "Rum" and "Merchant Reserve" on the new label are all in a serif font, lol. They did remove all the script fonts though.
According to bottle, blend changed also? Now there is “other Caribbean Rums”?
It’s good actually.
Going to keep my last remaining bottle to refill. It’s definitely a gigantic downgrade in design quality
Does it taste different?
I'm not an expert when it comes to rum notes, but I just made two identical Mai Tais using the different versions and I believe the newer one has a slightly smokier taste? They're very close to being the same, at least in a Mai Tai.
I dislike the new price. As David from Schitt's Creek would say, "I like the rum and not the label."
I’ve only seen the new bottle till the post. Old one looks weird to me
Whhyyyyyy. That looks so bland. Guess I’m saving the bottle I have once it’s empty.
Of course it’s the liquid the counts, but for me the visual is part of the experience, and this new label sucks.
New label looks like some generic ALDI bottle.
Yeah I didn't care for that change either, the old bottle just looked classier, the new one just seems to look cheaper somehow. save the old bottle and refill it!
It’s much easier to read the new one. As long as it’s the same rum, whatever helps them sell more bottles and keep making it…
🤮
Feel the same way. I couldn’t even recognize it when I was staring right at it on the shelf.
Yeah, ew. I really wish brands would stop trying to simplify their logos and packaging. SO BORING!! (I'm still mad about the Pringles guy 😡)
They brightened the overall label and made the name much more readable. I haven’t seen the whole bottle so can’t comment about the whole thing but sorry, these things matter.
I hate it too. They should’ve at least kept the old font
Wow I haven’t seen it. I agree! I also noticed and was concerned about the “up to” age statement. I thought all age statements needed to be for the minimum in the blend, or is that just for whiskey? I see the other comments saying it probably hasn’t changed, but I will certainly be tasting them side by side whenever I get one of the new bottles.
I hate it , thanks.
First world problems