Happy Birthday Vegemite – an Aussie Icon turns 100!
October 24, 2023
Have you visited the Vegemite Museum yet? *
The newly-opened Cyril Callister museum in the small Victorian town of Beaufort commemorates the inventor of Vegemite.
Looking at the collected memorabilia—from an original 1923 jar, all the way through to the current model—those 3 simple branding elements are the same:
— Uppercase brand name in black letters
— Yellow background colour on the jar
— Red diamond shape behind the word ‘VEGEMITE’
Vegemite’s Diamond shape
In ‘Symbols of Australia’ by Mimmo Cozzolino and Fysh Rutherford, an advertisement features the dark amber-coloured jar used to package Vegemite in 1923 or 1924. It includes a diamond-shape on its label.
The museum has a small 1950s-era jar which originally contained Vegemite — given to new mothers at the Tweddle Hospital for Babies in Footscray. The label is ripped and faded, but but that familiar shape is still there.
How many other Australian Brands have retained the same elements for 100 years?
Let’s say Happy Birthday to an iconic black spread—Vegemite! 
* Bega owns the trademark, hence it’s not *officially* the Vegemite museum
Recent posts
Jeff is undressed
April 16, 2024
I’ve kept this magazine article since 1993, and now I know why. On the cover, Jeff Kennett (the Victorian Premier at the time) stood naked, addressing a crowd of people. My eyes were telling me one thing. My brain was telling me it couldn’t be true.
ELMO’s 2024 HR Industry Benchmark Report
March 25, 2024
ELMO’s 2024 HR Industry Benchmark report is live. The report surveyed HR professionals across Australia and New Zealand to uncover trends, challenges and opportunities for 2024.
Keith Haring would not approve
February 28, 2024
Compare the two artworks in this post. You might recognise the artist as Keith Haring. On the left is his Unfinished Painting, created in 1989.
Coloured envelopes are a power move
February 7, 2024
If you want people to open something you’ve mailed them, use this simple trick. It’s our signature move. And it’s so simple.
President’s Dinner at State Library Victoria
January 15, 2024
For the VIP event, we created invitations, menus, wine list, table numbers, place names and illuminated paper lanterns, which decorated the long tables.
If you’re asking how much branding costs, you’re asking the wrong question.
December 15, 2023
Why? You need a timeframe. Let’s look at another example. You spend two hours cleaning outdoor teak chairs. You bought them 30 years ago, second-hand.
