Wild Turkey has introduced a refreshed design for its Australian ready-to-drink lineup, which includes 39 products. This revamped look highlights the iconic turkey illustration prominently across various formats, such as cans and bottles, as well as across its diverse flavors and alcohol content options, including Zero Sugar varieties.
Revamping the Brand Identity
The redesign was executed by The Creative Method, a Sydney-based brand strategy and design agency. Their primary goal was to modernize the product line while ensuring that it remains instantly recognizable as Wild Turkey. The turkey illustration now plays a central role in the design, enhanced by a stronger visual hierarchy across all product variants. This evolution also incorporates more gold elements, serving to unify the packaging while allowing the turkey icon to act as a consistent visual link throughout the range.
Mark Watson, the Marketing Director at Campari Australia, emphasized that the new design aims to elevate Wild Turkey’s presence on store shelves while deeply connecting with the brand’s rich heritage. According to Watson, “Wild Turkey has generations of bourbon history behind it, and the turkey itself is an important aspect of that narrative.” The updated design intends to capture the brand’s uncompromising spirit and commitment while offering a striking visual appeal that attracts both new and established drinkers.
The Concept Behind the Redesign
The Creative Method’s Founder and Creative Director, Tony Ibbotson, noted that the redesign focuses on maximizing existing brand assets rather than inventing new ones. “When working with a brand that has been recognized for generations, the temptation is to make sweeping changes,” Ibbotson explained. Instead, he advocates for leveraging existing icons and imagery that resonate with the audience, thus adding greater personality and scale to the brand.
He highlighted the turkey as an iconic figure within the Wild Turkey brand narrative, stating, “Any bird that is aesthetically unique deserves more recognition.” The turkey has long represented a wealth of history, character, and storytelling within the brand. As Ibbotson put it, the task was not about creating another symbol but amplifying one that is unmistakably Wild Turkey.
A Cohesive Product Family
The packaging changes have been applied across all 39 SKUs, reflecting a cohesive family resemblance throughout the range while accommodating future growth. This strategic approach is aimed at ensuring that every product within the lineup is easily identifiable as part of the Wild Turkey brand. Ibbotson stressed that established brands like Wild Turkey require a different methodology compared to new brands starting from scratch. “This is intelligent disruption—knowing what aspects of the brand to challenge, what to protect, and what deserves extra emphasis,” he mentioned.
The refreshed Wild Turkey ready-to-drink collection is now being rolled out nationally across Australia. With this new aesthetic and cohesive branding strategy, Wild Turkey aims to draw not just loyal customers but also new consumers, securing a prominent place in the competitive ready-to-drink market.