After 140 years, the makers of Lyle's Golden Syrup have decided to update a logo that features a Bible quote and a dead lion surrounded by bees. The company has unveiled a new logo featuring a lion's head and a single bee, CNN reports. The new logo will be on most Lyle's syrups and toppings, including golden syrup bottles, but the dead lion will remain on the classic golden tin. The old logo, introduced in 1883 and last modified in 1885, holds a Guinness World Record for the oldest branding.
Company founder Abram Lyle had "strong religious beliefs," which is why he chose a logo depicting a story from Old Testament, the company's website explains. After Samson killed a lion, he later found that bees had built a hive in the carcass, which led to his riddle: "Out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness." The second part of the sentence, "Out of the strong came forth sweetness," was part of the Lyle's logo.
James Whiteley, the company's branding director, said the new design "brings Lyle's into the modern day, appealing to the everyday British household while still feeling nostalgic," the BBC reports. The Telegraph reports that after some Christian groups strongly objected to the change, the company apologized for upsetting them and said the move had nothing to do with religion. (More logo stories.)