Ovaltine

First created in 1904, Ovaltine has been bringing warmth to mugs and glasses for more than a century. But despite strong heritage and latent awareness, the category had grown both literally and figuratively stale.

Malt-based drinks ranked as the most dissatisfying beverage category in a national survey, signalling a clear gap between what people remember fondly and what they experience today.

Project Scope

Insights
Consumer & Shopper Insight, Category & Competitive Analysis, Brand Health & Performance

Strategy
Brand & Portfolio Architecture, Innovation Pipeline Strategy, Experience & Communication Strategy

Design
Brand World & Creative Expression, Packaging & Portfolio Design, Communication & Content

Assets
Typography, Illustration & Graphic System, 3D Visualisation

Production
Production & Implementation, Asset Creation & Management, Brand Guidelines & Toolkits, Brand Governance & Stewardship

The result is a refreshed design system that brings the delicious, multi-sensory experience of choc malt to life. Rich colour, expressive cues, and flavour-led storytelling highlight the smooth, malty goodness that sets Ovaltine apart, while reinforcing clear differentiation from the competition.

At the same time, childhood itself has changed. In a culture increasingly shaped by packed schedules, organised activities, and constant pressure to perform, many families are craving something simpler: moments where kids can simply be kids.

Our brief was to extend the Ovaltine brand world across the powder range, elevating sensory appeal, creating stronger shelf impact, and building a cohesive visual language across Ovaltine Powder and Ovalteenies.

The result is a refreshed design system that brings the delicious, multi-sensory experience of choc malt to life. Rich colour, expressive cues, and flavour-led storytelling highlight the smooth, malty goodness that sets Ovaltine apart, while reinforcing clear differentiation from the competition.

It's a constant give-and-take balancing nostalgia with modernity. Familiar brand assets and heritage cues reconnect parents with the Ovaltine they remember, while playful energy and vibrant visuals capture the curiosity and imagination of kids discovering the brand for the first time.

Reflecting on the project in an interview with Mi3, Brand Society Managing Director, Nina Kelly, highlighted the delicate balance between protecting a brand's established equity and unlocking its future potential.

“It's a real balance of how you protect equity with how you evolve in the right way without losing what's actually powerful or inherent, and that makes a brand so loveable.”

More than just a drink, Ovaltine celebrates connection, comfort, and the joy of unstructured play. The kind of everyday moments where imagination leads, laughter follows, and families gather around simplicity.

The Results

The refreshed Ovaltine packaging reintroduces the brand as a joyful family treat, designed to inspire connection and delight across generations.

By amplifying sensory cues, strengthening shelf presence, and modernising the brand world, the new design brings fresh energy to a category ready for reinvention. A classic brand, stirred vigorously.

For a brand with more than a century of history, the opportunity wasn't to reinvent what Ovaltine stood for, but to rediscover why it mattered. By building on its nostalgic appeal and embracing a more playful, contemporary spirit, we've created a platform for Ovaltine to connect with a new generation of families, proving that even the most established brands can find fresh ways to bring joy to the everyday.

A little nostalgia, a lot of joy, and a fresh reason to fall in love with Ovaltine all over again. By bringing new energy to a much-loved classic, we've created a brand experience that feels both familiar and excitingly fresh. Proof that some of the best things in life never go out of style.