Radiant Rebrands from Elmwood and ThoughtMatter: Design Annual 2022

Rebranding a company is not a simple task, yet the agencies Elmwood New York and ThoughMatter make it look easy! Check out these two Design Annual 2022 entry rebrands for Tecate and The Breakfast Club.

Elmwood New York is a branch of the brand design consultancy Elmwood, with other branches located in Leeds, London, Melbourne, and Singapore. For the tenth year in a row, Elmwood was named the most effective brand design consultancy, having won more DBA Design Effectiveness Awards than any other agency. The philosophy behind Elmwood is that experience drives behavior, and all experiences must be designed. This sentiment rings true with their rebranding of Tecate Beer.

Since its inception in 1944, Tecate has become an extremely famous beer in northern Mexico and throughout the US. Hoping to modernize the brand’s iconic bottle, Elmwood New York extensively researched Tecate’s history and how it’s a staple to Mexican culture, not just a beer. Some things stay the same for this “Tecate Rebrand” (above), like the iconic black eagle, but this time, it has a large letter “T” printed on its chest. And, as a way to make the can appear less cluttered, Elmwood New York replaced the background with a simple silver pattern. National identity is a huge part of Tecate’s branding strategy, and this rebrand manages to modernize the look without minimizing the company’s roots. 

Creative director Ben Greengrass has worked at design and brand strategy agency ThoughtMatter for over two years. ThoughtMatter is known for bringing an artful perspective to its work in brand strategy, brand identity, and design. Greengrass’s entry “The Breakfast Club Rebrand” (above) is the latest revamping of The Breakfast Club, a chain of 80s-themed diners in London. Funny enough, Greengrass actually designed the original identity for The Breakfast Club when they opened their first restaurant in 2005!

This rebrand focuses on unifying the brand identity that extends to all twelve locations and make it stand out from other local restaurants. ThoughtMatter’s website explains that their collaboration with local brand strategists and branch visits were meant to ensure only the best rebrand technique: “This boots-on-the-ground research informed our strategy of driving brand consistency without tarnishing the charm or personality of any individual location.” Central to their strategy was maximizing and decluttering each location’s space to allow the maximalist décor to shine. Lastly, to build a cohesive brand identity, Greengrass and his team created universal menus, merchandise, and signs. Is it any wonder why this rebranding strategy has been recognized by several publications such as Print Mag and Eater London?

Our Design Annual 2022 Competition closes on March 2nd, so be sure to submit your entries here before it’s too late!