Blog

Branding; if it ain't broke, update it

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:30:00 GMT

I have recently been involved in discussions about branding being redesigned much to the confusion of many consumers. Consumers love their brands and don't like to see them changed. Struggling at times to understand why if 'it isn't broke, don't fix it' so why update it if it was fine in the first place? As human beings we have evolved and redesigned everything, constantly thinking about tomorrow and evolving for the future. If human kind were to sit still and settle for what they have then frankly we would still be living in caves. It is in our nature to expand and push things further, this is what should be applied to brands. At Design Activity we strive to refresh, renew and revitalise. A brand like Cocacola for example doesn't seem to have changed at all. But over the decades everything about the brand has been evolved. Even when the branding wasn't redesigned the packaging was. Had this not happened Coke would still look like it belonged in 1886 when it was introduced to the market. The product may be great, the branding good but if it doesn't keep with the times your brand may not be as popular tomorrow as it is today.

Mark Stubbington

Why I love commuting

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:24:00 GMT

Spotted this on the way to work the other day and it made me smile. 'Nice' graffiti.

Pat Starke

Typographic Scrabble

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:26:00 GMT

A-1 Scrabble is a concept by Andrew Capener who graduated from BYU last year. Andrew has used a medley of cool typefaces that make this scrabble set a typographic orgy. Really cool stuff if you know your Helvetica from your Gill Sans.

Mark Stubbington

The Bourbon Goddess

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:22:00 GMT

This made my day. The discovery of a three tiered bourbon biscuit... This is luckier than finding a four leafed clover and much tastier too. I shall now worship this bourbon Goddess until I can no longer with stand the urge to devour her and the rest of the packet. Waitrose I commend you and your happy accident.

Mark Stubbington

Packaging Design Effectiveness Award Winners

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:30:00 GMT

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This is a quiet blog today as the studio comes down from last night's celebration in London of our third Design Effectiveness Award. This year we're proud to display another SIlver Award, this time for non-food packaging with Nivea For Men's gifting range for 2010.

Over the past four years Design Activity have created dynamic range harmony across stores including Boots and increased sales steadily through highly creative on pack graphics and structure.

This success culminated in the huge uplift in sales of the 2010 range, triggering our team to set in motion the Design Effectiveness Award application process.

The top line results that impressed the Design Business Association judges were an incredible 81% uplift in sales, 61% of men receiving a Nivea For Men gift pack felt more positive about the brand as a result and 78% now claim to be more likely to purchase other products from the brand.

So the packaging design and structural design teams are tired and happy this morning and gently patting themselves on the back!

Pat Starke

We love Iria Prol

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:43:00 GMT

Here at Design Activity it's sometimes not all about branding, packaging and point of sale. We have a secret (OK not so secret now) student work placement scheme.

If a design student has the initiative to contact us and has a great portfolio of work we take them on for the rest of their college career and give them as much experience as they want.

We have had several students over the years who have left us and gone off to forge successful creative careers, we like to think in some way helped by their time with us.

Iria Prol was one such student although her influence on us was just as profound as ours on her.

Iria came to us from Spain whilst she was studying for her MA at The University of the West of England. She has matured into a truly inspiring design and art talent and her website is well worth a look.

Pat Starke

http://www.iriaprol.com/

Stone's Ginger Joe

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:42:00 GMT

As branded packaging designers we scan the shelves for cool brands. Launched in November last year, Stone's Ginger Joe, an extension of the Stone's Ginger Wine brand has at last muscled its way into Bristol stores where it immediately caught our eye. We don't know who is responsible for the branding but we take our hats off to them, good work fellas - also to Stone's Ginger Wine for finally growing a pair of stones and launching a brand with character and attitude.

Pat Starke

Good news for Pomegreat bad news for Waitrose

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:47:00 GMT

We've recently helped Pomegreat relaunch their range of 100% whole fruit pomegranate juice drinks. The range included chilled and ambient juice in tetrapacs and pet bottles, also a pomegranate extract supplement range extension called PurePlus.

As branded packaging designers we addressed the entire pack architecture including a complete redesign of the brand marque, on pack graphics and colour ways and product photography.

We concentrated on the provenance and taste of the product, keeping layout and messaging simple and essentially saying, "it's all about the pomegranate".

Andrew, our M.D. recently returning from the Waitrose sandwich run noticed that Pomegreat was absent from the shelves, sold out. Great news for the brand, bad for Waitrose!

Pat Starke

http://www.pomegreat.com/

Another packaging design award awaits

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:20:00 GMT

The studio is getting more excited as we count down the days until the 2012 Design Business Association annual Design Effectiveness Awards. Yes, we're up for another award for branded packaging design but this time in the gifting category for our work with Beiersdorf on their Nivea for Men Christmas gifting range.

Our work with them over the years has proved extremely successful in terms of growing market share and brand awareness but last year was particularly fabulous, and in our opinion, worthy of a try for a Design Effectiveness Award.

A Design Effectiveness Award is the highest accolade a brand can hope for and from an agency standpoint it is an undeniable marque of success.

We strive for this award every year at Design Activity because it tells us that we haven't lost our edge. It motivates us to raise the bar for future clients who's business could so tangibly benefit from our expertise.

We think the Design Effectiveness Awards continue to be a shining example to marketers of the true commercial value of what we do as branded packaging designers.

Once again we dust off the DJ's and un-fold the frocks and hope for a gold award!

Pat Starke

http://www.dba.org.uk/

Duck Confit appears on Dieline

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:55:00 GMT

"In 2010, we were approached by a new a client with the idea of importing authentic duck confit from South-West France. Wth no branding or listing in place, It was clear from the outset, the confit was a premium proposition and everything about the brand including the packaging had to communicate this.

As branding designers we set out to create a unique brand and associated identity – something to pique the foodie target market and once established; we focused on packaging, exploring a range of territories from rustic French to super chic.

Results so far include listings in a range of up market delis across London, and the Knightsbridge branch of Harvey Nicholls."

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2012/1/20/confit-of-duck.html

Alison Dymond

Liberty of London - artisan brand and structure

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:57:00 GMT

When Bristol based exclusive stationery designer and friend of the studio, Caroline Back came to us with her latest range of individually designed swing tags for Liberty of London we were only too glad to help her.

Being an artisan designer Caroline revels in the art and craft of her work so came to us for our expertise in the fine detail of packaging format and merchandising.

Her products are hand finished and packed so the actual packaging itself needed to have as few components as possible and be quick to assemble without compromising quality or that hand made feel.

The original design consisted of two pieces of card, printed both sides, a self adhesive clear plastic sleeve and a staple to hold the whole lot together.

We simplified this down to a single piece of card printed one side only and folded. The self adhesive strip on the plastic envelope then acted to bond the pack together.

We also worked with Caroline to develop her packaging brand marque for Paperback before producing bespoke cutter guides for this delightful range of stationery packaging.

Needless to say Liberty of London were extremely happy to stock Caroline's packaging range which in turn flew off the shelves this Christmas.

http://www.paperbackdesign.co.uk

Pat Starke

Category Cues or Me Too's?

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:45:00 GMT

Our design agency has worked with mass market cheese brands, artisan cheese producers and speciality cheese brands over the years.

We've noticed that over this time the market has become vast, with seemingly no room for new product formulations or packaging innovation.

In fact the opposite is true, the cheese market has expanded to accommodate this growth in branding in both the multiples and independents and it's those independent cheese shops, local delis and farmers' markets which absorb the less mass market brands.

With shelf space at a premium the multiples will do what they can to stock the less ersatz brands but ultimately it will be the big players who dominate especially in the commoditised cheddar sector.

And it's to that point that we've noticed a trend for what could be perceived as me too branding at the top end of mass market cheddar with the market leader, Cathedral City being pursued graphically by Pilgrms' Choice in terms of brand colour palette, architecture and packaging format.

So is this "me too" branding, playing to the category cues or big brands playing it safe in a market affected by economic fluctuation?

Well even with it's commodity status the cheddar market grew 2.4% last year, so maybe not that factor?

You'll find that globally, in Anglo Saxon derived markets such as North America, New Zealand and Australia the mass market brands also follow UK cheddar category cues.

Look at another commodity - Baked Beans, Heinz dominates but Branston Beans doesn't look like Heinz.

My opinion is there's a hefty slice (every pun intended) of playing it safe going on here with a side order of me too pickle.

Pat Starke

Surprise Cup Cakes

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:13:00 GMT

The studio celebrated our rebrand last week with these delightful cup cakes provided by Alison our studio manager. It was a complete surprise which naturally called for cups of tea all round and a bit of a do!

Pat Starke

Innocent; we love you. But its time to move on...

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:31:00 GMT

With 63% of the £111 million pound UK smoothies market its fair to say Innocent Smoothies have done well for themselves. The packaging redesigned by Pearlfisher is a classic 'category breaker'. Simplistic, friendly, fun and different from the competition. Its become what all brands strive for: a benchmark. This is testament to Innocent who seem to have hit all the sweet spots, more specifically the use of language and tone of voice.

Innocent's informal approach has been a formula for success. So much so that we now seem to hear the phrase "just like Innocent' when referencing their design within the industry. As much as we all love the Innocent brand its not completely relevant for every product or brand. A serious whiskey brand and light hearted, jovial language do not make great bed fellows. Something we would all do well to remember. Innocent; we love you but its time to move on.

Mark Stubbington

Congratulations HiPP!

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:27:00 GMT

Congratulations to our client HiPP on winning GOLD at the Mother & Baby Awards 2011/12!

Their delicious Fruit Pouches won in the Best Baby Food Product category!

Click here to find out more about our HiPP Baby Food packaging design.

Kate Clayton