When New York’s last Australian pub closed during COVID, Aussies in NYC lost a place to watch the footy and enjoy a Froth Whitlam surrounded by familiar accents. Enter Old Mates – New York’s real Australian embassy, bringing a bit of downunder, 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. Including bespoke illustrations, posters, menus, tap handles, can designs, business cards and merch. We even helped curate decor – Rennie Ellis photography and a painting of a strange man whose only crime was eating a succulent Chinese meal. 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.

Already covered by The New York Post, Channel 9, The Today Show, and The Sydney Morning Herald – with 2,000 punters at opening night, and Dom Dolla behind the decks (and the bar) in the first few weeks – Old Mates is well on its way to becoming the unofficial Aussie embassy in the Big Apple.