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Packaging that speaks for itself

Burnley Brewing

Project Overview

Role:

Brand director

Period:

2023/24

Skills:

Product rebrand

Creative direction

Consumer insight

Burnley Brewing is an award-winning craft brewery mixing German brewing traditions with Melbourne’s vibrant spirit. Their core range needed a refresh; consumer tastes were shifting and the old labels had inconsistencies, dated details, and unclear info. I led the rebrand, overseeing a move to smaller cans and the redesign of everything from cartons and kegs to sales and promo assets. Leaning on my time running Burnley’s taproom, I fed in real customer feedback and worked with the design team to land a range that was consistent, approachable, and distinct.

After COVID, customers were drinking less and looking for better value. Burnley’s once-iconic 440ml cans now felt like a barrier, while smaller tins offered flexibility, value, and less risk. Beyond that, the core range packaging had some messy issues:

Before

  1. Inconsistencies

    Colours didn’t match, layouts jumped around, and even beer names varied – sometimes on the same label.

  2. Confusion

    Customer chats revealed why niche styles weren’t landing. If folks didn’t already know the style, they hesitated as the cans lacked clear clues. Vienna Lager was the worst culprit: it looked similar to Pale Ale, and the descriptors didn’t help.

  3. Outdated identity

    Packaging still carried an old motto, lacked the traditional place name, and needed regulatory updates. With two new beers joining, it was the perfect time to relaunch the core range as one unified set.

Burnley’s core range was reimagined to sharpen its identity, make the beers easier to understand, and fix messy inconsistencies.

Design & Cohesion I worked with our designer to give the range a polished, unified look. The wave graphic was consistent in size and placement, colours were bold and legible (Vienna got a much-needed glow-up), and key info was clearly and consistently placed, making the cans easy to read. Subtle touches like linking colours across the range and acknowledgment of Wurundjeri Country made the lineup feel consistent, thoughtful, and unmistakably Burnley.

Clear Messaging Drawing on taproom chats, I rewrote the can copy for all six beers so each style was instantly clear. Subtitles like “Helles Lager – German-Style Pale Lager” helped people get it at a glance, while the main descriptions swapped formal, technical language for a friendly, flavour-focused tone.

Market Shift We moved to 375ml cans to lower the barrier to purchase and offer better value, while fresh, bold designs aimed to stand out on bottle shop shelves.

The relaunch was a huge win. Clearer copy, better value, and a fresh design that tied the lineup together drove a 202% boost in core range sales. The Vienna Lager went from the beer that confused people to the one they reached for – sales jumped 271% and revenue grew 616%. The two newcomers, Middy and IPA, earned their spot fast, pulling in nearly a quarter of core range revenue in their first year. On shelves, the bold look gave Burnley a strong presence, earning nods from retailers and industry press.

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Clarity in a crowded market

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