New Look For Old Speckled Hen

19 Nov 2014 --- The Old Speckled Hen family has unveiled a contemporary new look, which is set to be rolled out across stores from December.

The Hen family is currently in rude health in the off-trade with sales of over £53m, growing at 19%. This is four times the growth of the total ale category and nine times that of total alcohol. It is appealing to more consumers than any other ale brand in the UK and recruiting a quarter of a million more shoppers year-on-year.

The Hen family is now looking to target the next generation of discerning beer enthusiasts with a contemporary design for its cans, bottles and multipacks that will broaden its appeal on shelves. The updated packaging for Old Speckled Hen, Old Golden Hen, Old Hoppy Hen and Old Crafty Hen brings the story of the family to life with a more crafted look and feel, while maintaining its rich history and heritage. By delivering clearer descriptions of each member of the Hen family on the labelling, consumers will be better equipped to select their perfect beer.

Developed in conjunction with design agency Ziggurat Brands, the new-look cans, bottles and multipacks will be hitting stores just in time for Christmas, supported by a £2m annual multichannel marketing investment, which will continue through the festive period.

Dom South, marketing director for Old Speckled Hen, said: “With the Old Speckled Hen family going from strength to strength in the UK, the time has come to capitalise on its position in the British beer market and take it to a new generation of drinkers.

“This change will ensure that we retain the loyalty of consumers who have made Hen their number one ale while attracting younger beer enthusiasts with a refreshing contemporary design and clearer beer descriptions. It was important that we evolved to stay relevant in what has become an incredibly competitive marketplace.”

First brewed to celebrate the 50th birthday of the iconic British car brand Rover MG, Old Speckled Hen has stayed true to its roots with the retention of the famous octagonal logo and classic typeface that has served it so well for the best part of four decades. By delivering clearer descriptions of each beer and surrounding them with a visually striking design, which brings the brand story to life, Old Speckled Hen has its sights set on enhancing its standing in the premium ale category and becoming a go-to brand in the beer category as a whole.

In addition to the flagship Old Speckled Hen, which continues to outstrip the competition in the off-trade, the Hen family has been propelled in recent years by the launch of two incredibly popular additions. While Old Golden Hen accounts for two thirds of the brand’s growth in the last 12 months – having enjoyed the most successful new ale launch of the last six years2 – Old Hoppy Hen has done likewise in the bottled ale category this year. Meanwhile, Old Crafty Hen is slowly becoming the vintage ale of choice for seasoned ale connoisseurs and enthusiastic newcomers alike.