Biggest branding blunders that rocked Australia

They were meant to boost business but these massive brand blunders will go down in history as the biggest losers.

Some rebrands are successful and others are epic fails.

Just this week we saw the Bureau of Meteorology stand by its bizarre request to no longer be referred to as the BoM.

This demand came in the midst of a flooding crisis that devastated parts of Melbourne and regional Victoria.

These are the most notorious branding blunders that rocked the country.

Vegemite

iSnack 2.0 and Name Me jars at an Australian supermarket.

One of the most controversial rebrands was of the iconic Aussie spread Vegemite.

Previously owned by Kraft, the company changed the label on the product to Name Me and asked consumers to vote on a new name in 2009.

The most popular name was Cheesymite but Kraft wanted something to reflect the “snacking” element of the product.

The name iSpread 2.0 was suggested so the company altered it to iSnack 2.0.

After much scrutiny, Kraft caved to public pressure and dropped the new branding after one week.

Kraft Foods Australia and New Zealand head of corporate affairs Simon Talbot said the new name didn’t resonate with consumers.

“We have been overwhelmed by the passion for Vegemite and the new product,” he said.

“The new name has simply not resonated with Australians, particularly the modern technical aspects associated with it.”

Australia’s national brand

The logo was likened to an image of a virus.

Australia’s nation brand logo was dumped after it was condemned for looking like Covid.

The unveiling of the former wattle-inspired logo in July 2020 was met with criticism after it drew unfavourable comparisons to images of a Covid particle.

The logo — understood to have cost taxpayers $10m — was ditched by the federal government, with former federal Trade Minister Simon Birmingham confirming a redesign was in the works back in August 2020.

The new logo, featuring a gold kangaroo above the word ‘Australia’, was launched at the start of the year.

Women’s Network

The questionable logo for the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s (PM & C) “Women’s Network” was taken down.

The logo for the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s (PM & C) “Women’s Network” was taken down, after it was mocked on social media for its phallic appearance.

Rather than draw focus to the purpose of the Network — which “promotes gender equality and supports members to succeed in their personal professional lives” — the logo ignited controversy when it was shared to Twitter.

Many at first assumed the logo was a fake because of its resemblance to male genitalia, while others were furious that it detracted from the actual purpose of the Network.

The logo was swiftly removed from the PM & C’s website this year, “pending consultation with staff”.

Coke Life

Coke Life was dumped from Australian shelves in 2017.

The Coca-Cola Company dropped its Coke Life brand from Australian shelves in 2017.

It’s understood the company spent two years and millions of dollars trying to launch the reduced-calorie beverage.

The 2015 launch was followed by heavy supermarket discounting but two years later, the brand was axed and replaced by a new product called Coca-Cola with Stevia.

While Coke Life is no longer available in Australia, it can still be purchased in some other parts of the world.

Shapes

Arnott's had a branding blunder when customers demanded they keep the original recipe for its Shape varieties.

Arnott’s was forced to reassure angry consumers that it would keep the original recipe for its Shape varieties amid fierce backlash over its flavour meddling.

Customers demanded the biscuit brand to restore the original Shapes range in 2016 after it introduced “new and improved” versions.

The company said new blends were developed after extensive trials following customer demand for “bigger and bolder flavours”.

But hordes of Shapes lovers flooded the Arnott’s Facebook page with complaints and pleas to revert to the classics immediately.

“We’ve been receiving loads of enquiries about our new Shapes flavours,” Arnott’s wrote on social media.

“Rest assured the original flavour BBQ and Chicken Crimpy will still be available in stores. Find them on shelf next to the new Shapes!”