Jimmy's Iced Coffee unveils new look – and plans new soft drink

The drink, invented in Christchurch eight years ago, is sporting a new look from today, with its supermarket stockists among the first to unveil the cartons.

Co-founder Jim Cregan said: “When we first created our design, we knew it had to be timeless. It couldn’t be a flash in the pan job that would suddenly look old. I feel we nailed this.

“Fast forward nearly a decade and it feels like the brand could do with a new pair of kicks and a new hairdo. It needed a freshen up. You don’t have to compare yourself to Nike or Apple, you’ve just gotta do what you feel is right for the brand. We feel the time is right, so we’re gonna do it and it’s gonna rock.”

Stripes and beachgoer characters are disappearing from the packaging in favour of a “clean, two-colour background with classic bold font”.

The brand is also dropping the word “latte” from the pack in favour of “coffee + milk” in order to “reinforce the Jimmy’s way and challenge industry jargon”.

Nick Waring, head of creative at the Airfield Road company, said: “Throughout the rebranding process, we ensured that the Jimmy’s soul was the heartbeat of the new design whilst creating something timeless, easily identifiable and fun.”

Jimmy’s is moving beyond selling iced coffee, selling merchandise and coffee beans. The company says it is “breaking into the adult soft drinks market” with a new product in the pipeline for the second quarter of 2020.

Its old-style packaging will be available through wholesalers and convenience stores for a “limited period” to reduce waste and support the company’s environmental objectives.

The company aims to be plastic-free by this summer.

Jimmy’s was invented after former labourer Mr Cregan spent time travelling Australia and developed a taste for iced coffee.

When he was denied permission to sell his preferred brand in the UK, he and his sister Suze devised their own recipe.