Wainwright already had a loyal consumer base in Lancashire, but when Marston’s acquired the brand, they wanted to infiltrate markets across the UK. At a time when huge numbers of new entrants are coming into the market, the Wainwright brand needed modernising to compete at a national level.
Alfred Wainwright was a local icon and the new design focused on the aspirational values he championed - to reach the highest peak. Reinterpreting the brand in this fresh and dynamic way, whilst keeping the unique illustrative style, enabled the bottle to stand out against competitors on the shelf and appeal to a wider and younger audience.
The rebranding and repositioning of Wainwright as ‘The Golden Beer’ has seen its fortunes transformed. Sales volumes have grown 15.4% over the Moving Annual Target, and it is the fastest growing brand in Marston’s portfolio. It is now the 20th biggest premium pale ale in the UK, growing over five times faster than the category.
