Mary Portas’ new fashion brand – older and wiser?
In TopShop, looking at the rails of geometric print leggings and crop tops, I realised a brand that I have been loyal to for years was not growing up with me or offering me any alternatives. I began to wonder how many other of my trusted and well loved brands would fall by the wayside as I age.
In: Brand communications, Fashion, Ooh that's nice, Viewpoints · Tags: Brand stretch, Mary Portas, Retail, Tone of voice
40th Birthday Facelift for Starbucks
Starbucks have redesigned their iconic logo to coincide with their 40th birthday. The redesign aims to honour their heritage and the equities that have made up their logo for the past 40 years. The answer to the challenge was simplicity, a zeitgeist that has recently been leading the evolution of many brand redesigns (think Coca [...]
In: Brand Experience, Food and Drink, Graphic design, Retail, Viewpoints · Tags: Brand stretch, Cafes, Starbucks
Design your recipe
Ikea has launched the coolest styled ingredients cookbook. It clearly displays all the ingredients and although it’s a bit of a mystery to me what you end up making with these precise, geometrically laid out ingredients, it does intrigue me to have a play.
In: Food and Drink, Graphic design, Ooh that's nice, Viewpoints · Tags: Brand stretch, Food, Ikea, Photography, Trends
Take a seat in my brand
In line with the earlier blog post on Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum, it does actually feel like I am entering a modern art gallery each morning with the temporary Feelosophy exhibition in Design Bridge London’s reception. For me it is the sound that has the greatest impact. You know that particular ‘installation’ sound. Or maybe the [...]
In: Brand communications, Brand Experience, Fashion, Product design, Viewpoints · Tags: Brand stretch, Wines
Can ingredient brands work across categories?
Can ketchup equal good teeth? I am confused by the following launch: Xylitol Ketchup’ by Xyltiol UK. We are used to xylitol as an ingredient brand, the “Intel inside” of the chewing gums and toothpastes. Now we are exposed to it as a main brand for a ketchup. First of all it feels a bit [...]
In: Food and Drink · Tags: Brand stretch, Ingredient brands, Ketchup, Packaging design, Xylitol
Cadbury’s Cocoa Houses
Cadbury is extending the brand into the high street café arena with an aim to launch up to 60 ‘Cocoa House’ outlets in the not so distant future. Concepts include afternoon tea, chocolatier services and novelty oversized classic Cadbury brands, such as the Curly Wurly and Flake. There are all the obvious risks associated with [...]
In: Brand Experience, Retail, Viewpoints · Tags: Brand stretch, Cadbury, Cafes, Tea
Ciao Kitty Wines
Should I roll out the red carpet for Hello Kitty’s new range of wines? I like wine and I like cats. Put them together and you should have something, well, pretty special. Sanrio’s cute kitten has gone from a coin purse, to school products for tweenagers to a global fashion brand, and is now 35 [...]
In: Food and Drink, Viewpoints · Tags: Brand stretch, Hello Kitty, Wines
Gone too far with a bar?
The latest offering from Marmite is being launched – or is it trialled – across London with a blaze of innovative and perfectly on-brand activity. The product is a Marmite Cereal Bar and the big idea is that the people from Marmite really are not sure if their new product is going to fly or [...]
In: Advertising, Food and Drink, Innovation · Tags: Brand stretch, Breakfast, Campaigns, Marmite
