Vegemite, but not as you know it

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Vegemite on toast is a concept thousands of people around the world have been familiar with for over 90 years. Using the spread as ink however, is a concept that's a little bit harder to swallow.

One graduate from the University of Newcastle is part of a small team that have managed to pull off the innovative task of printing business cards for Vegemite using the company's very own product as ink.

"I guess we're always looking for new ways to push the boundaries on what we can get away with. It just so happens that Vegemite is roughly the same consistency and viscosity as the rubber-based inks we use every day. Getting it on the press was a breeze. Getting it off was another story altogether," explained Adam Flannery.

After completing a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design in 2010 and working in Sydney as a designer/creative printmaker, Adam now lives in Northern Melbourne working at the design and letterpress-printing studio, The Hungry Workshop.

His role involves everything from printing and designing to consulting with clients and emptying the bins.

This isn't the first time Adam and The Hungry Workshop have experimented with consumables. When they were commissioned by the wine distribution company Vincurable to develop a logo, they discovered a bottle of wine boiled down to a syrup consistency perfect to create unique business cards that literally reflected the taste of the company and their clientele. 

He said his degree gave him a good foundation in concept-based design and set him up with the tools needed to progress after graduation.

"I think Newcastle graduates, being isolated from the big cities tend to be pretty focused and hungry, whether that means leaving town and going for great jobs or staying put and working on their own projects," he said.

The diversity and creativity is what Adam enjoys most about his job and the future is looking very bright for this particular little vegemite.

"I enjoy making real, tangible things. Every day at The Hungry Workshop is different from the last and the guys I work with are just the best," he said.

"I'm just going to keep my head down and work hard. We're working on some really exciting projects at the moment which we'll be revealing soon enough," he added.

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