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- Design agency Sister Mary redesigned Labatt\u2019s US packaging to celebrate the brand\u2019s shared Canadian heritage and US presence.<\/li>\n
- The visual overhaul introduces an enlarged logo and maple leaf, a diagonal slash dividing \u201cLabatt\u2019s\u201d and \u201cBlue\u201d to symbolize cross-border connection, and contrasting gold detailing to stand out in the crowded domestic beer aisle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Labatt\u2019s might not be Canada\u2019s oldest brewery\u2014that would be Molson\u2014but it\u2019s certainly its\u00a0largest<\/a>. Founded in 1847, the Ontario brewery was almost confined to the history books because of\u00a0Canadian Prohibition,<\/a>\u00a0but it managed to survive by selling beer to its Southern neighbor, the US. Though both countries\u2019 temperance laws overlapped from 1920 to 1927, it ultimately helped keep the brewery afloat while garnering a legion of fans in the States.<\/p>\n
Labatt\u2019s is also very much sold and brewed here in the US (Rochester, to be specific) and is part of AB InBev\u2019s stable of brands. Recently, the beermaker sought the help of agency\u00a0Sister Mary<\/a>\u00a0to refresh its packaging system and brand identity here in the states, something that not only spoke to its 179-year history but also improved its standing in the immensely crowded US domestic market.<\/p>\n
<\/figure>\n The problem, as they saw it, was that there was far too much blue (cough, Bud Light, cough). To shake things up, the brand wanted to talk up its Canadian provenance while injecting it with a little more vitality. However, instead of just talking about its Maple Leaf-bearing roots, they wanted to dive into the brand\u2019s cross-cultural codes, the \u201cnatural back-and-forth\u201d amongst friendly neighborhood rivalries and drinking buddies.<\/p>\n
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<\/figure>\n\u201cFriendly rivalry became the unlock for the entire brand,\u201d said Emily Cristoforis, Head of Strategy at Sister Mary, in a press release. \u201cAs a kind of dual citizen, the brand has permission to champion the epic relationship between the U.S. and Canada, while fuelling the friendly rivalries that bring people together across all walks of life. That created a broader cultural role for Labatt rooted in playful banter, competition, and connection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, the Labatt\u2019s name takes on more significance and has been enlarged, along with the brand\u2019s other greatest asset, the maple leaf. To introduce a greater sense of heritage, they have also added the signature of Labatt\u2019s founder, John Labatt, and an even clearer established mark. You\u2019ll also find refined typography and some additional gold detailing, which, while seemingly minor, does help take the brand\u2014and specifically Labatt\u2019s Blue\u2014out of the \u201cblue beer\u201d cooler wasteland. While gold typically signals premium, I\u2019d say it just adds some much-needed contrast.<\/p>\n
\n<\/figure>\n Additionally, they have added a new diagonal graphic device that draws heavily on the logo\u2019s italic angle, splitting \u201cLabatt\u2019s\u201d and \u201cBlue\u201d into a kind of barrier that mirrors the one between the US and Canada. According to the agency, it\u2019s a \u201csubtle expression of borders, contrast, and connection,\u201d adding to the Canada-US relationship. It also becomes a tool the brand can use to highlight what brings the two nations together and their differences, and it\u2019s not just that\u00a0Canadians love writing in cursive and script fonts<\/em>.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedieline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/08_LABATTOUTERS-1.png?resize=1920%2C2160&quality=65&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\u201cWe elevated the prominence of the Labatt name across packaging and the wider identity system, while embracing the brand\u2019s position as a dual citizen,\u201d said Leigh Chandler, founder and executive creative director at Sister Mary, added in the same press release. \u201cThat came to life through graphic devices inspired by borders, contrast, and connection, alongside a more playful and provocative tone of voice that reflected the dynamic between Canada and the U.S.A., but is also alive at the bar, the tailgate, around the grill, or anywhere people gather to compete, tease, and roast each other. \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLabatt didn\u2019t need to become something else,\u201d Chandler adds. \u201cIt needed to make sense of the things that were already there. Its Canadian roots, its US presence, its blue equity, its sports culture, and its sense of humor. The refresh gives the brand a clearer story and a more confident way to show up.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thedieline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/04_LABATT_HERO-1-scaled.png?resize=2560%2C1440&quality=65&ssl=1\")
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<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nPersonally, I take some umbrage with the \u201cbrewed in the USA\u201d copy, as the brand is brewed in both the US\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0Canada, which could be misconstrued as meaning the beer is only made in the US. Perhaps this is a minor quibble. It was also part of the brand\u2019s previous look, but the \u201cBorn in Canada\u201d copy makes for a wise and necessary addition, and what\u2019s not to love about replacing an \u201cO\u201d and \u201cE\u201d with a Maple leaf and a star? Obviously, this will do nothing to\u00a0ease strained Canada-US relations<\/a>, but, hey, there\u2019s nothing stopping us from enjoying some of our northern neighbor\u2019s finest suds.<\/p>\n
Regardless, at least for drinkers here in the US, the new packaging adds a more prominent celebration of Labatt\u2019s origins and even a sense of class and refinement that wasn\u2019t there previously. I\u2019d even wager that all of those gold touches might prompt a certain US president to forget about all of those silly tariffs he imposed, but that might just be wishful thinking.<\/p>\n
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