Archive for October 2010
Drop the valley
Yeo Valley’s new design raises some interesting questions about brand symbolism. Unlike Nature Valley or that tended by the Jolly Green Giant, Yeo Valley really does exist, and is very much part of the true story behind the UK’s biggest organic dairy brand. The problem is that valleys don’t make very powerful brand symbols (being…
Read MoreConsumer need? Anyone?
Whilst a drop might be a reasonably good brand shape, it tends to struggle when pressed into service as a brand character. French brand Elle & Vire is better known for its culinary sauces, but this mysterious product seems to be aimed at kids, probably very young ones judging by the lack of any personality in…
Read MoreWagamama
When restaurant or celebrity Chef brands start competing in the supermarket, it casts an interesting shadow over the provenance of the other brands. Food from a factory, anyone? Or would Madam prefer something from our kitchen? Interestingly this problem doesn’t apply to brands that are seen in restaurants, so Kikkoman looks even more authentic in this…
Read MoreGo with the flow
Handwash expert Carex dominates this sector with a simple proposition backed up by its equally simple name: Care, but with an x on the end (so you know it also works to clean and disinfect). The new design makes an apparently small step to great effect: a dynamic wave crashes across the logo, and also…
Read MorePigoenhole me
We’ve all had a go at the ‘ye olde spice rack’ concept at some point, but what makes this design a very satisfying example is that the brand name and recipe description join in the game and so make the story feel integral, not mere decoration. The endorsing brand (Amora) occupies a square at the…
Read MoreLess is more. Unless it’s less
The ham may be cured, but we think this new packaging could make the brand rather ill. It’s all very well for Waitrose or a premium niche brand to reduce its logo to a scarcely visible endorsement, whilst the product values are given centre stage. It’s our old friend the ‘less is more’ story, appealing…
Read MoreNuts in Combats
Good to see that some of the economy brands that are springing up all over recession‐hit Europe are using good design to say something other than the usual: ‘we know how to make you feel really cheap’. Distressed stencil type on colour‐coded transparent labels give these nuts an attractive story of ‘natural basics’, making the…
Read MoreNo need to read
With a name like Mountain Dew the brand story could be all about high altitude refreshment, the Evian of sodas perhaps. But in one of the few good examples of ignoring the brand name and still creating a strong story, this brand had (right hand pack) a delightfully mad logo that promises high octane youthful…
Read MoreRecession design
Sad to see it’s time to say goodbye to the delightfully wacky Ragu jar made from stacked tomatoes. It’s done some sterling work, but with the premium end of pasta sauces overrun with celebrity chef recipes, the brand has clearly decided to go all basic and value for money, taking the prize for the biggest…
Read MoreChilled out
Not a new design but fast becoming a classic (cue: less good design comes out next week). The glass image looks so real I can hear it clinking. With the split design and clean white field it oozes freshness and quality, all held together with a distinctive badge shape and logo. The clever bit is…
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