bluemarlin, a leading global brand design consultancy, has unveiled the successful rollout of the redesigned Cisk beer range, one of Malta’s most cherished brands.

This extensive project, which has already garnered significant industry recognition, showcases a refreshed visual identity for Cisk, celebrating its rich heritage while appealing to a modern audience.

The redesign began with the core Cisk Lager, recognized for its signature yellow branding, and its low-calorie variant, Cisk Excel. Following the success of these initial redesigns, bluemarlin extended the new visual system across the entire Cisk range, which includes Cisk 0.0%, Cisk Pilsner, Cisk Premium, Cisk Strong, Cisk Extra Strong and the innovative Cisk Chill range.

The challenge for bluemarlin was to create a cohesive and contemporary look for the diverse Cisk portfolio, maintaining the brand’s iconic assets while ensuring each variant’s distinct personality. The result is a unified range where the recognizable Maltese cross and sunray elements continue to shine across every product, from the traditional yellow lager to the fresh and youthful Chill range.

Marrying tradition with market evolution

Charlie Spiers, Account Director at bluemarlin, emphasized the importance of balancing Cisk’s rich tradition with the needs of its evolving market. “We had to consider the brand’s appeal across different consumer segments – from the loyal older generation, the ‘Patriots’, to the younger, more adventurous ‘Modernists’,” said Spiers.

“With each member of the Cisk portfolio, we were mindful of how the corresponding design reflected the individual brew and resonated with the target consumer subset, all while ensuring a consistent brand experience.”

The newly designed Cisk Pilsner and Premium beers showcase a sleek gold and white color scheme, exuding sophistication. The 0.0% variant stands out with its crisp white can, symbolizing purity and lightness, while the Strong and Extra Strong beers feature bold black and gold designs, reflecting their robust intensity and depth of flavor. Each beer targets a specific demographic, with the latest addition, Extra Strong, specially crafted for the hard-working expat community – offering maximum strength and taste and exceptional value.

Rolling-out strategy

One of the most challenging aspects of the redesign was considering how to treat the Cisk Chill range – a light, summery beer with flavor variations of Lemon, Berry and Ginger & Lime. bluemarlin developed a vibrant and refreshing visual language for this range, incorporating vivid greens and yellows that echo the core Cisk identity, while highlighting the product’s unique flavors with natural, fruity illustrations.

The project has already been recognized with multiple awards, underscoring bluemarlin’s success in revamping the Cisk brand. It has also been developed to work across all touch points, including on- and off-trade.