Popular Mexican beer brand Sol has joined forces with Manchester-based creative agency Love to develop a new visual identity informed by its past. Founded in 1899 in the small city of Orizaba, Sol has grown to become a globally recognised beer, but with such a saturated drinks market at present, a new look and feel for the brand was needed to safeguard its position into the future.
Key to this rebrand was Sol’s rich heritage, including its visual history over the last century. The team at Love dug into the brand’s archive, finding inspiration in old labels, faded signage and previous campaigns that were full of wonderful details. With these in hand, they worked to bring some of the older elements to the fore, catering to a young modern consumer who appreciates authenticity in branding.
“Leaning into young adults’ appreciation of ‘newstalgia’ (using the past to inspire something new), we dialled up Sol’s heritage, presenting it in a fresh, modern and more premium way,” explains Eve Warren, design director at Love.
This plays out across various aspects of the Sol branding, including the iconic sun logo, which has been redrawn by renowned British illustrator Tobias Hall to take a more prominent position within the design. Once a subtle background element, the sun can now be found staring out optimistically above the clouds.
This upbeat tone was key to the refresh, with the design team keen to capture the true spirit and ethos of the brand. As such, Hall also dialled up the colour palette, making the red and gold brighter and richer, and even adding a light blue to evoke a clear sky. The result is a logo that stands out much more than the previous iteration, with a boldness that draws attention and proudly speaks to Sol’s history.
Finally, Hall also reworked the brand’s wordmark and added bespoke supporting type. For this, he looked to the “beautifully idiosyncratic and evocative” lettering of Sol’s historic labels for inspiration, developing an aesthetic that reflects the brand’s origin story while maintaining a markedly modern appearance.
Love’s rebrand will be rolling out around the world across various platforms in the coming months, accompanied by bespoke launch campaigns.
