World’s oldest unchanged brand gets rid of dead lion logo after over 140 years

For the first time in more than 140 years, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, a staple in British households, has changed its logo from a dead lion being swarmed by bees to a happier version of the animal with a single bee. The move marks the first rebrand for the company since 1883.

World’s oldest unchanged brand packaging

Lyle’s Golden Syrup, for more than a century now has featured a rather peculiar logo of a lion’s carcass surrounded by bees, for which it also holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s oldest unchanged brand packaging.

It was not until 2006that the Guinness World Records took note of the product’s unchanged branding aside from the “slight technical changes” which were made during the war due to “shortages of materials”.

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In 2008, the company’s then-owner Tate & Lyle announced that it was changing the tin to a gold colour to mark the 125th anniversary of the golden syrup, also known as light treacle.

Notably, the syrup made from refined sugar was first produced by Abram Lyle & Sons in 1881.

“We’re excited to unveil a fresh redesign for the Lyle’s Golden Syrup brand,” said James Whiteley, brand director for Lyle’s Golden Syrup, in a statement.

He added that while they will continue to “honour the original branding”, the “consumers need to see brands moving with the times and meeting their current needs.”

The company plans to continue using the product’s old logo on Lyle’s classic golden syrup tin while the bottles and dessert toppings will have the new branding – an animated version of a lion with a single bee placed slightly above its head.

“Our fresh, contemporary design brings Lyle’s into the modern day, appealing to the everyday British household while still feeling nostalgic and authentically Lyle’s,” said Whiteley.

Story behind the old logo

The origin of the old logo lies in the Old Testament and was based on the idea of the product’s founder and Scottish businessman Abraham Lyle, who decided to include a Christian analogy on the tin.

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In the Old Testament, Samson kills a lion with his bare hands, only to find a swarm of bees had created a hive in its body. In the biblical tale, part of the Book of Judges, Samson then eats the honey and even gives it to his parents who were unaware of where the syrup had come from.

He then proceeds to present 30 wedding guests with a riddle to solve: “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.”

A different version of the riddle which says, “Out of the strong came forth sweetness,” was chosen for the logo of Lyle’s Golden Syrup, which stuck around for more than 140 years, until recently.

(With inputs from agencies)