Studio Thirst celebrates Caribbean culture with Ponche Kuba redesign
First created in 1942 and crafted at Mount Gay Distilleries in Barbados, Ponche Kuba is a rum cream liqueur with more than eight decades of heritage. Mount Gay commissioned international design studio Thirst to modernise the brand for a new generation, strengthening its connection with the Caribbean diaspora while introducing the drink to global taste explorers.
The brief required protecting the established recognition and heritage of the drink while creating a standout identity through a contemporary visual expression, alongside delivering a significant 24.4 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per case.
Rooted in Caribbean culture
The creative concept, titled ‘A Catalyst of Convivial Celebration’, draws inspiration from the energy, warmth, and elegance of gatherings similar to the upcoming Notting Hill Carnival. Thirst expressed this idea through a brand world defined by expressive forms, dynamic typography, and an expanded colour system.
While the refreshed label retains Ponche Kuba’s signature red, it introduces flowing botanical illustrations and rhythmic line work alongside a brighter, modern palette. The updated visual identity extends across the entire brand ecosystem, encompassing physical packaging, a marketing toolkit, and a dedicated launch film.
Structural packaging and carbon reduction
A key objective of the redesign was delivering measurable environmental improvements for Mount Gay’s packaging footprint. Thirst reviewed the structural bottle design to engineer a lighter glass vessel that preserves the brand’s recognisable silhouette.
The redesigned 700ml bottle now weighs 550g, marking an 80g weight reduction compared to the previous production bottle. This change lowers greenhouse gas emissions per case by 24.4 per cent, reducing output from 13.6kg to 10.3kg CO₂e.
Matt Burns, founder and executive creative director at Thirst, said: “Evolving an icon demands both ambition and restraint. Ponche Kuba already carries considerable recognition and affection, so our responsibility was to protect what people value while helping the brand move forward.
“Supporting Mount Gay Distilleries in making the bottle materially lighter gave that evolution an even greater purpose. It demonstrates that meaningful progress, creatively and environmentally, doesn’t have to come at the expense of heritage.”
While the bottle and visual identity have evolved, the liquid itself remains unchanged, retaining the original recipe produced in Barbados.