Tate & Lyle announced plans to update their dead lion design and set the cat amongst the pigeons – 15 sweet reactions
Sugar refiner Tate & Lyle has announced a rebrand for some of its products. The change will see the current image of the carcass of a lion with bees hovering around the honey they’ve made in its head (No, really!) become a stylised lion face with a single bee.
Tate & Lyle's Golden Syrup rebrand drops dead lion https://t.co/2UJt822mHt
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) February 20, 2024
The new label design for Tate & Lyle's golden syrup now features the lion shortly before it dies oblivious to his fate? pic.twitter.com/TAZlCSL0RD
— The LUPOL (@TheLUPOL) February 20, 2024
The bizarre design was inspired by the biblical tale of Samson, who killed a lion and later saw its head had become a makeshift hive for some honey bees. The original label contains the bible quote –
‘Out of the strong came forth sweetness.’
Fans of the dead lion design will be relieved to learn that the tins won’t be subject to the rebrand.
The classic Tate and Lyle golden syrup tin is not being redesigned; it remains the oldest continuous use of packaging in the world https://t.co/iqIrYNGj91
— Samuel West (@exitthelemming) February 20, 2024
Not everyone had realised that the lion was, in fact, an ex-lion.
I was today years old when I learnt that the lion was dead & not just having a nice nap pic.twitter.com/1cfuAVoQzb
— My lovely horse (@SueJ1973) February 20, 2024
Please tell me we were all today years old when we discovered the poor lion was dead. And please don't tell me there's going to be some ridiculous manufactured fauxrage about how taking a dead lion off a golden syrup tin is somehow the end of civilisation… https://t.co/D1OQqjh57F
— Georgia Lewis (@georgialewis76) February 20, 2024
Wait, the lion’s DEAD?
I thought it was just having a little nap.
My childhood, ruined. https://t.co/7zPhyTFooG— Lev Parikian (@LevParikian) February 20, 2024
The usual suspects went into full outrage mode, like this collection of false claims from Paul Joseph Watson.
It’s not the world’s oldest brand (although it holds the record for the oldest unchanged packaging).
They haven’t killed the brand or the branding.
The rebrand wasn’t because of the bible verse.
They did it to appeal to modern shoppers, not because they were trying to avoid offending them.
Apart from that, though, he was spot on.
The rebrand and the realisation that the lion is dead kept the news trending all evening.
1.
These days, you can't even have a picture of decaying animal corpse on your branding. Sick of it x
— Buckers (@deathofbuckley) February 20, 2024
2.
Well I for one will no longer be purchasing. I found the decomposing lion carcass, covered in flies, just the thing to whet my appetite for treacle. https://t.co/44qtAnAVuD
— The Time Being (@namomnetempus) February 20, 2024
3.
This is huge! Let’s hope they keep those yummy dead lion’s and flies in the ingredients though. https://t.co/qgz8RFkDJ4
— Cake (@rigby113) February 20, 2024
4.
dropped syrup-titiously
— bruce (@brucetheshark75) February 20, 2024
5.
Return the rotting lion and the bees feasting on his flesh, WE USED TO BE A COUNTRY https://t.co/kHw1zV8sKf
— Gabby Hutchinson Crouch (@Scriblit) February 20, 2024
6.
Tate & Lyle’s dead lion is actually quite a common branding technique. Once you know what you’re looking for, you’ll notice it all over the place. pic.twitter.com/kJgyXxWhUi
— Daniel Benneworth-Gray (@gray) February 20, 2024
7.
So what is this distracting us from then, what’s the real story https://t.co/9FAOVBgfKU
— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) February 20, 2024
8.
Bloody woke brigade at it again. Can’t even have carcasses on our food anymore. https://t.co/UdFO7B5l4b
— Cara Lisette (@CaraLisette) February 20, 2024
9.
Tate & Lyle bosses: So, we want a new logo…
Marketing consultants: Well now, THAT we can do!
Tate & Lyle: We still want the lion…
Marketing consultants: Sure, classic, iconic!
Tate & Lyle: But… we want it to look a bit more… Margaret Thatcher…
Marketing consultants: … pic.twitter.com/9sCL5YDtjr
— Beau (@DrBeauBeaumont) February 21, 2024
10.
Woke now means anything the Daily Mail doesn’t like pic.twitter.com/t6mGuZJ51s
— Olaf Falafel (@OFalafel) February 20, 2024
11.
Dead?!
I always assumed it was just in a sugar coma!https://t.co/JgWIkqY3c2
— CWAChead (@CWAChead) February 20, 2024
12.
We can’t even have dead lions now. Because of Woke https://t.co/hvQd1n0jOu
— based gizmo ️⚧️ (@neverthetories) February 20, 2024
13.
I have removed
the dead lion
that was on
the syrup canand which
you were probably
saving
for breakfastForgive me
it was so dead
so inexplicably dead
and so covered in bees— Daniel Kennedy (@fliglman) February 20, 2024
14.
Gammons are fretting over the rebranding of Golden Syrup. Which had a logo of a dead rotting Lion with bees making a nest in its carcass.
Pound to a penny none of them had ever noticed before or knew anything about the Biblical reference. https://t.co/IylfmOtWY6— Paolo Alessandro️ (@PaoloIskandar64) February 20, 2024
15.
Harrowing image of the Tate&Lyle lion, living in reduced circumstances after the rebrand.
Another victim of wicked wokery.
It's too awful. pic.twitter.com/P2ejBMQJmY— PAW (Peter) (@Peter88902568) February 18, 2024
The Sunday Sport was having flashbacks.
'The company said it was to refresh its appeal to modern shoppers.'
And to bung a few grand into the back bin of some arsewipe 'image consultant'?
We've been there - it ended badlyhttps://t.co/ES3e03eCG7— Sunday Sport (@thesundaysport) February 20, 2024
Hospitality and food writer Josh Barrie had more pressing concerns regarding the rebrand.
Rather than twatting about with changing a historic and recognisable image, one that will be used on plastic bottles but not tins, why not instead focus efforts on working out how to get rid of the plastic bottles https://t.co/8niKXLKKDP
— Josh Barrie (@joshbythesea) February 20, 2024
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Source BBC Image Author's own