New York’s Real Aussie Embassy

When New York’s last Australian pub closed during COVID, Aussies lost a place to watch the footy and enjoy a Froth Whitlam surrounded by familiar accents. Enter Old Mates – New York’s real Aussie embassy, bringing a bit of down under, downtown.

Backed by Aussie A-listers Hugh Jackman, Pat Cummins, Mick Fanning, Patty Mills, Ash Barty, Hamish Blake, and Andy Lee, BAM worked with the founders from the idea’s infancy to craft a comprehensive brand identity.

From positioning to print, logos to livery, every detail was carefully considered. Especially the decor – Rennie Ellis photography and a painting of a strange man whose only crime was eating a succulent Chinese meal. We even designed an Old Mates baggy green, awarded to diehard punters who knock back 100 pints in a calendar year.

Steering clear of tourist-trap tropes, we built a brand that harkens back to beer from yesteryear – when pints cost a fiver and ring-pull tabs threatened to garrotte your index finger. All substance, no froth.