Alan Gilbody

We know we’re in the thick of the festive season when the first Christmas advert graces our television screens.  The God-father of Christmas adverts, John Lewis, set the bar some years ago with their heartfelt and heavily emotive adverts, adamant on pulling the heart strings of even the most cold hearted viewers. From a marketing point of view, placing family and relationships at the core of the message is a great strategy, subtly instilling associative feelings of trust and honesty with the brands themselves. 

But let’s not be cynical, we’re no grinches! Yes, we too cry those salty tears (damn the successful marketing campaigns and old men on the moon).  The team here at Slice got together to check out and rank this years competitors.  We’ve prepared a cry-o-metre for you – just so you know how many tissues to have at the ready!

The Adverts

1. M&S – Christmas with love from Mrs Claus 

2. Waitrose – #HomeForChristmas

3. John Lewis – #BusterTheBoxer

4. Sainsbury’s – The Greatest Gift

Our Thoughts

We thought that the heart warming M&S advert, telling the story of sibling love, did a fantastic job with product placement throughout – showcasing luxurious jumpers to fluffy socks, buttery mince pies to kids fashion shoes.  It was also a nice twist to have a female lead, in the form of Mrs Claus.

The star of the Waitrose advert this year was the Robin, documenting it’s journey from stormy sea’s to the garden of a young girl, which certainly caused a few wet eyes in the office. 

Sainsbury’s rather long advert features the familiar voice of James Cordon singing a catchy tune telling the story of a Father’s quest to spend more time with his family. The advert played heavily on the emotional family message, however we weren’t sure we were left feeling hungry at the end of it…

John Lewis controversially changed their tried and tested strategy this year, going for a more humorous, tongue in cheek approach. We personally quite liked it, but it has been met with some disappointed viewings.  Whether the change in approach has paid off for them time will tell…

A common theme in all the adverts is a true and lovely message about the importance of friends and family.  So go have a mulled wine (whether it be purchased from M&S, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s…) and thoroughly enjoy the festive season!

You can see some of our recent packaging design work here

Your brand portfolio has grown and you now have several sub-brands under your parent brand – fantastic news!  However, when looking at shelf space, it’s not just other competitor products that you need to worry about – without strong brand architecture you might find your own brands competing with each other – crazy right?! If the brand architecture is not coherent across the range, then you will loose shelf stand out on stand alone products, which is not what you want after all the hard work that’s gone into getting your product into retail! 

A robust brand architecture has the ability to define hierarchy on pack, assists to draw the consumer eye around the pack as you desire, and helps them to process the information on pack.   A strong brand architecture is also important in order to build a homogenous portfolio, and provides a platform for future NPD growth.

How to get it right – things to consider

1. Consider the logotype – how do you want your brand to be portrayed?
2. Create distinct zones on pack that will be identifiable
3. Ensure that the parent brand logo and sub-brand logo do not compete on pack
4. Consider the importance of brand colour on pack
5. Think whether an emotional or functional approach on pack is most suitable for your brand

If you’re thinking about growing your portfolio, or have already rolled out your product to various sub-brands ask yourself the following; is your brand architecture, the way in which you speak and resonate with the consumer, consistent across the range?

Here’s our guide on how to successfully manage brand architecture for growing/ large portfolios

1. Firstly, identity the core product within your range, being the product which is taking the biggest market share
2. Now looking at this core product, ensure that you have a clear brand identity and have successfully addressed a consumer need whilst conveying your solution in a unique way
3. Invest in brand guidelines – how will the structure or graphics of your packaging become synonymous with your brand?  Take for example the unique shape of the tubular Pringles pots and brand logo, which makes the product and it’s sub brands instantly recognisable on shelf
4. Once you’ve successfully tackled the brand architecture of your core range, look to roll out across sub-brands by leveraging the core brand identity whilst identifying differences.  Sub-brands may come in different flavours, sizes and so forth…
5. In turn, a clear recognisable brand architecture is more likely to evoke an emotional response from the consumer and get them to pick up your product

Brand architecture in action

Slice Design Ltd has been working closely with Greek food company Cypressa on their various ranges.  Slice Design decided to play on the heritage and authenticity of the brand, evoking an emotional reaction from the consumer alongside a trust in the product.  Previously, the Cypressa range lacked a clear brand architecture, making it difficult for consumers to easily identify the numerous sub-brands on shelf and associate them with the parent brand.  Slice Design used brand architecture to highlight similarities across the range and tie them all together, by using earthy colours, strong lines and a strong parent logo.    

Beyond providing great creative for large and small FMCG companies, throughout the past 12 years, Slice design specifically helps companies hit budget targets and ensure ROI on creative agency costs, by offering flexible, time and cost efficient branding and design solutions, without the hassle.

If this sounds like something that might be relevant for you, get in touch.

As of today, Waitrose have launched a new gluten free pasta range.

It’s almost that time of year…A-level results day. Duh-duh-duuuuuh!!! School leavers across the country will face the most important decision of their lives. What to do next. We are going to take you through our thoughts on degree vs apprenticeships.

The natural academic path is to bag yourself a degree – 412,000 higher education places were awarded last year. Still the hottest contender as far as higher education goes, but how valuable is a design degree vs a design apprenticeship? Slightly less appealing now that the government has announced that tuition fees are set to rise to £9,250 per year. Yes, that’s right kids. Not only will you gain yourself a snazzy certificate but also a debt short of £30k (and the rest).

I’m not knocking degrees – I am a ‘certified’ design graduate myself. However I would certainly back a design apprenticeship for anyone curious about this pathway. Taking a diplomatic view on it, I guess it depends on what you are after and whether you respond better from ‘education’ or from a more ‘hands-on’ approach. I believe that 1 year in the industry can be just as valuable, if not more than a 3 year degree.

Our thoughts

It has been several years but I remember the student scenario well. Briefed on a project and told that we had 4 weeks to research. 4 weeks to create concepts and another 4 weeks to build a design. A whole term to basically rustle up a design worthy of a Student Starpack. It took less time for Leicester City to climb the league. Unless courses start mirroring design briefs in the industry and preparing students for graduation, then design apprenticeships could lead the future in higher education. As more students shun University in favour of gaining a real, and valuable insight in to our creative industry.

About Slice

At Slice, we offer graduate placements and also believe in the value of apprenticeships. We’re always on the lookout for inspirational design students and straight-out-of-school individuals with a unstoppable talent in packaging & branding who are willing to get stuck in and learn the ropes fast. CV’s welcome!

Blimey! Is it that time again? Haven’t we only just had the Olympics?

That was a quick 4 years. One thing we always look forward to debating at all of the sports events is the logo. The Rio Olympics logo has caused much less controversy than the London 2012 one. In fact, you could say it has kept its head down a little.

So what is it, what does it represent? –  It’s intention is not immediately evident, in fact it is quite obscure. The footprint is meant to represent Sugarloaf Mountain and the surrounding landscape – No, me neither.

In fact let’s be honest, I saw a childs dummy. But then in the London 2012 Olympics one I always see  ‘dad dancing at a wedding disco’. I can’t unsee that now!

Happy weekend everyone and bring on the games!!

From our studio in Hammersmith, London, we work for clients around the world: global and local, big household names and small startups, challengers and leaders. Whether a big brand re-design, NPD launch or simple packaging updates. We’re proud to remain flexible, refreshingly honest and wholly independent.

You can see some of our recent packaging design work here

Now we all know it’s hard enough to get human beings on board with your brand. Let alone our four legged friends and pets!

Pet care as a category has grown by 10% per year since 2010.  As the market becomes increasingly lucrative – it’s getting more crowded. Pets are increasingly seen as individuals. Each with their own dietary and grooming needs. So, how do you claw your way to the top and stand out amongst the pack? You need the facts on the trends that matter to those with furry companions. Here’s our round up of the trends for pet care in 2016 and beyond.

Paleo-Pups, Grain-Free Kitties and Raw Pets 

Consumers are becoming more educated on nutrition by the day and their nutritional concerns aren’t limited to themselves. This awareness of ingredients is extending into the pet food category. Notably niche dietary requirements taking centre stage as USP’s.  Now it might seem bonkers, but hear us out. Pets really do manifest allergies in the same way humans do. We’re talking hair loss, gas, bad breath – the works. Pets suffering from allergies has been a key driver behind the launch of successful organic pet food brands like Lily’s Kitchen.

Research is showing that moving away from processed ingredients can dramatically improve life expectancy, energy levels and quality of life.

We all love our pets and want them to be healthy, which it’s where the need is born for brands that cater to the sensitive stomachs of our furry friends. Already the industry has seen a marked increase in GMO free, gluten free and whole food based pet ingredients. How can you position your brand amongst the early adopters?

Pampered Pets

Pets are undeniably seen as a part of the family. They are a national obsession and pampering them is nothing to be ashamed of. We’re all guilty of letting them hop onto our beds on a Sunday morning, sneaking them that little bit of food at the dinner table and treating them to a hair cut. Research has shown that, people are treating their pets like extended family members. Pet owners with two lots of disposable income, who love to treat their pets to a little bit of luxury, are creating a new demographic for you to target.

Brands like TIGI and Aesop have already ventured into this emerging sector. Their NPD’s in pet care are aimed at pets requiring a little more than a spray with the hose in their grooming regimen. But creating a viable luxury pet grooming product isn’t as simple as slapping a big price tag on a bottle of dog shampoo. Much like human personal care brands, you need to craft a unique position in the market and ensure you’re communicating to the demands of pet owners. How can your brand cater to the demands of this growing sector?

Distrusting the big FMCG Beasts

As owners become increasingly conscious of food ingredients and more mindful of what’s best for their pets there’s a rising tide towards a distrust of FMCG brands. Now we love you guys – seriously, call us. Let’s do lunch sometime. Large brands have the advantage of experience, product expertise, a budget for R&D and brand equity that the disruptors in the market would kill for. However, in this category there’s a preference towards independent brands. They come without a complex ingredients list and perhaps unfavourable product recall history.

Pet owners have new need states with a demand for whole foods, niche dietary requirements and a more luxurious approach to grooming. Currently large FMCG brands aren’t catering to these needs. With the health and happiness of a member of the family at stake, it’s easy to see why there is an advantage shift towards the independent brands in the space.

So how can you capitalise on these trends? How do you ensure standout on shelf, cater to the health-conscious pet owner and ensure your brand identity is trusted? With over 25 years experience, and a shared love for all furry friends, we at Slice have a few ideas up our sleeves. Get in touch.

I’m not a fan of following trends in graphic design. For me I think design should answer the brief rather than the current fashion trend.

Take the new Instagram logo for example. Gone is the reference to the old Polaroid/Instamatic camera. That icon of capturing the 1970s moment and in comes a flat, monolithic, uninspirational piece of iconography that fails to capture the essence of the brand but is following the current ‘trend’.

The beauty of the old logo is it symbolised that perfect moment; from a time when every shot counted. When photos were precious memories and something to be cherished (rather than a complete documentation of your evening!)

Shouldn’t that be at the core of Instagram’s brand message and communication? I think so.

Now it’s been a while since the logo change that causes so much controversy what are your thoughts?

Based in London UK, Slice Design are a top international creative branding and packaging design agency that have helped consumer brands grow and get noticed since 2004. We like to think of ourselves as a challenger to the large agency. As the name suggests we cut through jargon with our flexible, no nonsense approach and down to earth attitude.

No fancy trademarked processes and no hidden extras. The benefit to yourselves is all the experience but with the flexibility that large packaging design agencies cannot deliver.

From our studio in Hammersmith, London, we work for clients around the world: global and local, big household names and small startups, challengers and leaders. Whether a big brand re-design, NPD launch or simple packaging updates. We’re proud to remain flexible, refreshingly honest and wholly independent.

You can see some of our recent packaging design work here

Every so often an epic ad comes along that swamps the brand. The current Moneysupermarket ad is a great example – the culmination of 3 seasons of successful, memorable TV ads mashed up into one #epicdanceoff.

Question is, in 5 years time, will people remember the epic advert, or the brand it was advertising?

Based in London UK, Slice Design are a top international creative branding and packaging design agency that have helped consumer brands grow and get noticed since 2004. We like to think of ourselves as a challenger to the large agency. As the name suggests we cut through jargon with our flexible, no nonsense approach and down to earth attitude.

No fancy trademarked processes and no hidden extras. The benefit to yourselves is all the experience but with the flexibility that large packaging design agencies cannot deliver.

From our studio in Hammersmith, London, we work for clients around the world: global and local, big household names and small startups, challengers and leaders. Whether a big brand re-design, NPD launch or simple packaging updates. We’re proud to remain flexible, refreshingly honest and wholly independent.

You can see some of our recent packaging design work here