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Project Overview
The newly formed Arnott’s Group needed a corporate identity that would unite its family of brands and support its growth plans. The Edison Agency developed this corporate identity strategy and a bold new brand that honours the legacy of this beloved company, while taking it into the future. The new corporate identity has sent a strong message to the market and helped revitalise company culture.
For the new Arnott’s Group CEO George Zoghbi it is a strong foundation for future growth and also a reflection on the company’s legacy as one of Australia’s oldest and most trusted brands.
Team
Amber Bonney - Head of Strategy Amber Bonney - Executive Creative Direction Brian Rodrigo Llagas - Design Director, Lead Designer Stephen Wren - Group Account Director Matt O'Connor - Senior Creative Artworker
Project Brief
With its 155 year history, Arnott’s is a renowned and much-loved business in Australia. It has more than 2,300 employees across the country and produces some of the most loved biscuit brands including Tim Tam and Shapes. Arnott’s was acquired in 2019 by US private equity firm KKR, as part of the sale of Campbell Soup Company’s international brands division.
This meant the newly formed The Arnott’s Group needed to remove the Campbell’s component from its corporate branding and mark a new chapter as an innovative, independent business. It decided to create a new identity that would unite its people and support future growth as it diversifies and expands across the Asia-Pacific region.
To help create its corporate brand and identity, The Arnott’s Group engaged The Edison Agency. Chief Executive Officer of The Arnott’s Group, George Zoghbi knew the corporate identity – encompassing the logo, stationery, office signage and other elements – was a powerful way to communicate this exciting new direction to staff, stakeholders and consumers.
“They could have simply relaunched with the Arnott’s consumer brand, but creating a distinct corporate identity provides the business with the space to expand its footprint of products and brands,” said Amber Bonney, Founder and Managing Director of The Edison Agency.
Project Innovation/Need
The Arnott's Group desired to mark a new chapter in the business with an identity that reflected the business' strategy to build a progressive multi-national consumer food business across Asia-Pacific.
THE SOLUTION
The Edison Agency worked closely with the
The Arnott’s Group Marketing, HR team and senior leaders to develop a new identity strategy and a suite of assets within a tight time frame. This was about more than just a logo – Edison created a whole new corporate identity system that the business can use in different ways as its needs evolve.
The team at Edison used its unique three-stage human-centred design process, which focused on the needs, wants and concerns of The Arnott’s Group and its employees, customers and other stakeholders.
1 . STRATEGIC INVESTIGATION
Edison researched major food companies worldwide and analysed their corporate brand systems to identify best practice. The team also worked closely with The Arnott’s Group CEO and ran workshops with senior leaders and project staff to understand the business’s goals and values.
2 . STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT
Edison created a corporate identity strategy and design system, which included how the business could use its branding to improve workplace culture and attract talent.
3. CREATIVE EXPLORATION
The third phase involved bringing the new brand to life through internal and external assets. These included a logo, colour palette and a ‘visual language system’ – using elements such as patterns and textures to support the brand. Edison also created internal posters and banners, internal brands for training, innovation and culture initiatives brands internal brands, and other elements to create a positive reception throughout the office environment.
“We knew from the outset, that the team would honour the heritage of Arnott’s, whilst bringing a much more contemporary feel to our new corporate identity.
The strategic process undertaken by Edison was well structured and thorough - clearly grounded in insight and considerate of the brand personality shifts we wanted to make."
Michelle Foley, The Arnott’s Group, Chief Customer Officer, ANZ
Design Challenge
CHALLENGES
The Edison Agency was tasked with the challenge of uniting the family of iconic Arnott's brands under a single corporate identity system. Core questions and problems to be answered were:
• Unite a family of brands under a single identity system
• ‘Future proof’ the corporate identity, ensuring it would support an expansion into new markets and products outside the Arnott’s consumer brand
• Maintain the emotional connection with a much-loved consumer brand, while making a statement that the business was moving forward
• Honour the parrot logo and its vibrant colours as one of the most recognised logos in Australia
• Consider how removing the ‘Campbell’s’ name would impact the business in Asian markets where Campbell’s dominated and Arnott’s was unfamiliar
• Communicate changes to employees after the uncertainty of the acquisition, while build a strong corporate culture and employer brand that would attract top talent
Effectiveness
The Arnott’s Group new branding captures all that is cherished in the Arnott’s 155-year business — Arnold the parrot and his vibrant colours being one of the most recognised brand symbols in Australia. As a tribute to legacy of one of Australia’s most iconic consumer brands, this identity system has been re-imagined to emphasise progress, diversity and trust for the next generation of the business and its people.
The new identity system is proud and bold, fitting for a business with a strong commitment to sustainability, equality, and diversity - the logo a symbol that captures genuine intent for positive change and celebrates over a century of hard work and innovation.
The Edison Agency carefully reviewed the existing corporate brand, looking at its tone of voice, design application, and continuity across all touch-points internally and externally. The outcomes of which seeded the identity strategy - one built from the foundation of emotional and legacy but with a focus on diversity and unity brought by the current and future portfolio of leading food brands.
Graphic Design - Identity and Branding
This award celebrates creative and innovative design in the traditional or digital visual representation of ideas and messages. Consideration given to clarity of communication and the matching information style to audience.
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