JDO x Zunmeichun
Enter yoIn the global whisky market, the name Jameson (Zunmeichun) is virtually synonymous with excellence. As the world’s top-selling Irish whiskey, Jameson represents not only a smooth, refined taste and exceptional quality but also embodies over two centuries of innovative spirit. Since its founding in 1780, the brand has remained steadfast in its belief of Sine Metu (Without Fear), breaking through tradition and continuously evolving. Today, this spirit is being revitalized in a bold, new way.
JDO was invited to lead the global visual refresh of Jameson’s RTD (Ready-to-Drink) series, creating a unified and highly cohesive brand identity that breathes new life into the brand’s century-old heritage for younger markets. This challenge goes beyond design—it’s about the soul of the brand. How can we preserve Jameson’s historical legacy and premium quality while infusing it with a modern, vibrant visual language that resonates with youthful energy?ur text here...
Project Background
In recent years, the RTD (Ready-to-Drink) category has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments in the global market, driving spirits brands into broader consumption scenarios. Jameson (Zunmeichun) pioneered its RTD series in Australia a decade ago, quickly establishing it as the largest RTD growth engine within the Pernod Ricard portfolio.
Facing a rapidly evolving market, Jameson aims to achieve two core objectives through its RTD series:
· Expand Consumption Scenarios RTD products cater to more convenient and casual drinking occasions, such as summer festivals, outdoor parties, and other non-glass environments, offering a seamless and approachable experience.
· Connect with the Next Generation of Consumers The RTD series is a key vehicle for Jameson to engage younger consumers, introducing them to the brand through accessible pricing and a lower entry barrier. The core audience is the 25-35-year-old L.A.D.S. (Learning, Active, Affable, Diverse Social) demographic, who embrace multicultural values, care about social issues, seek novel experiences, and value fun, social drinking moments.
However, despite the rapid growth of Jameson’s RTD series, a critical challenge remains: inconsistent global brand identity. Due to varying market demands and regulations in regions such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe, the packaging designs for Jameson RTD have developed distinct regional characteristics, impacting overall brand recognition and market influence.
To address this, Jameson has partnered with JDO to create a globally unified, highly cohesive, and market-adaptive RTD visual identity system. The goal is to strengthen shelf presence, enhance brand recognition, help Jameson RTD stand out from competitors, and solidify its market leadership in a premium and distinctive way.
Design Challenges
Challenge 1: Creating a Globally Unified Visual Identity
Currently, Jameson RTD employs distinct design languages across different markets: North America leans toward vibrant colors and fruity flavors, Europe emphasizes a prominent “J” logo on the can, while Australia adopts a more retro, classic style. While these designs cater to local market preferences, they dilute brand recognition and hinder the formation of a cohesive global brand impression.
The core design challenge lies in striking a balance between diverse market characteristics to ensure a unified visual identity worldwide.
This requires addressing four key requirements:
· Brand Recognizability Ensure the packaging is instantly identifiable as Jameson, reinforcing brand influence.
· Shelf Impact Create designs that stand out in retail environments, with clear and readable information about the brand, flavor, and product range to facilitate quick consumer decision-making.
· Category Differentiation Highlight Jameson’s unique brand identity to distinguish it from competitors in the RTD market.
· Visual System Scalability Develop a design system that seamlessly extends to new flavors and product lines (e.g., cocktails, sodas) while maintaining the brand’s consistent premium quality.
Challenge 2: Balancing the Youthful Energy of RTD with the Premium Sophistication of Traditional Spirits
RTD consumers gravitate toward modern, approachable, and fun visual expressions, while traditional spirits brands emphasize authenticity, consistency, and a premium aura, creating a potential tonal conflict.
Jameson aims to infuse its RTD series with vibrant, dynamic energy through this design refresh, while still conveying the classic quality of an “Irish whiskey” and aligning with the brand’s essence: A serious whiskey that does not take it too seriously.
Creative Inspiration and Solutions
In our creative approach, we delved into the brand’s history and identified the hand-drawn three-masted sailing ship from the Jameson crest as the ideal symbol. It not only embodies Jameson’s Sine Metu (Without Fear) spirit of exploration but also represents the brand’s ambition to sail from its classic whiskey heritage into the future of RTD. The hand-drawn style infuses the packaging with personality and warmth, fostering an emotional connection with younger consumers while avoiding the overly serious visual tone often associated with traditional spirits packaging.
Furthermore, we embraced greater flexibility in color and layout to ensure the design naturally adapts to the cultural contexts of different markets. Bold, modern background colors enhance the product’s visual impact, while the sailing ship illustration seamlessly weaves the brand’s story into the packaging. This approach highlights Jameson’s Irish heritage and sparks consumer curiosity.
In the global refresh of Jameson RTD, our goal is not merely to pursue consistency but to build a cohesive visual identity system. Jameson’s brand spirit transcends markets, remaining steadfast at its core, yet its expression can be flexible, maintaining brand recognizability while adapting seamlessly to diverse cultural and consumption contexts.
To achieve this, we distilled the most globally adaptable elements from the brand’s core assets: the arched Jameson logo serves as a visual anchor, ensuring instant brand recognition, while the iconic green hue runs consistently throughout, creating a powerful brand imprint on shelves worldwide.
Additionally, considering that RTD products are often displayed in multi-can packs, we enhanced the outer packaging design to form a Brand Block on the shelf. The waves carrying the sailing ship connect to create a grand, evocative “nautical map,” amplifying the cocktail flavors while narrating the brand’s story, ensuring a striking visual impact on retail shelves.
Ultimately, we didn’t create a one-size-fits-all template but a cohesive visual identity system that radiates brand unity. Across global markets, Jameson RTD showcases a consistent brand spirit in a unique way, ensuring each product carries the brand’s hallmark while remaining vibrant and adaptable in diverse markets. This creates a brand experience that feels both familiar and refreshingly novel.
This “spirit over form” strategy breathes stronger vitality into Jameson’s global presence, allowing the brand to maintain its premium sophistication while exuding energy and fun.
Design Achievements
Through the new visual design, Jameson RTD successfully achieved global brand cohesion, balancing the stability of core brand assets with market-specific flexibility. The hand-drawn three-masted sailing ship and modern color palette ensure that products meet both brand recognizability and quick-purchase functionality on global shelves. This approach attracts younger consumers while highlighting the brand’s exploratory spirit and premium quality.
