Warburtons is stepping away from its 134-year-old heritage with a striking redesign of its brand logo.
From the new year, Britain's biggest bakery will introduce the new motif which does away with the red crest and 'Since 1876' emblem that was introduced 12 years ago.
Described by the bakery as a "confident new look", the new logo centres on the company name in a bid to give it stronger shelf standout. The corporate colour will switch from red to orange to present a "more contemporary expression" of the brand and draws on the bakery's historical branding colours, it said.
The existing design has been successful for Warburtons, helping stave off competition from rivals Hovis and Kingsmill to hold its market-leading position for more than five years. But the new look was expected to reignite sales, which have dipped 0.9% on a volume rise of 2.7% over the past year [Nielsen 52w/e 2 October].
Citing consumer research, marketing director Richard Hayes said the Warburtons name required more powerful packaging, adding that the 1876 emblem was not a "key sales driver" for shoppers.
"The strongest branded designs tend to be clear and simple, like Kit Kat and Mars, and we wanted a similarly straightforward and compelling look," said Hayes. "Warburtons is about looking forward we want to generate brand and category growth."
With overall bread sales falling 2.1% in value and 1.1% in volume, Hayes urged his rivals to keep their brands relevant and engaging for modern consumers. "You could argue that the bread category has been too backward-looking. One of the challenges for the industry is investing in marketing and innovation. In the recession, people understandably invested more in discounting. Wheat costs are up 50% on last year and continue to affect us all but to discount is not the way out."
The identity was "a radical departure" from the previous design, said Ben Harris, business development director at design agency Anthem Worldwide. "It would suggest a move to become more accessible through the removal of some of the more rigid heritage cues," he said. "It will be interesting to see how this new identity translates to pack and whether in the consumers' mind the Warburtons identity delivers the same quality perception and trust that had previously set it apart."
The unveiling of the design comes a week after Warburtons' rival Hovis revamped its bread packaging. Hovis has, however, retained its 'Since 1886' message on the front of its packs.
From the new year, Britain's biggest bakery will introduce the new motif which does away with the red crest and 'Since 1876' emblem that was introduced 12 years ago.
Described by the bakery as a "confident new look", the new logo centres on the company name in a bid to give it stronger shelf standout. The corporate colour will switch from red to orange to present a "more contemporary expression" of the brand and draws on the bakery's historical branding colours, it said.
The existing design has been successful for Warburtons, helping stave off competition from rivals Hovis and Kingsmill to hold its market-leading position for more than five years. But the new look was expected to reignite sales, which have dipped 0.9% on a volume rise of 2.7% over the past year [Nielsen 52w/e 2 October].
Citing consumer research, marketing director Richard Hayes said the Warburtons name required more powerful packaging, adding that the 1876 emblem was not a "key sales driver" for shoppers.
"The strongest branded designs tend to be clear and simple, like Kit Kat and Mars, and we wanted a similarly straightforward and compelling look," said Hayes. "Warburtons is about looking forward we want to generate brand and category growth."
With overall bread sales falling 2.1% in value and 1.1% in volume, Hayes urged his rivals to keep their brands relevant and engaging for modern consumers. "You could argue that the bread category has been too backward-looking. One of the challenges for the industry is investing in marketing and innovation. In the recession, people understandably invested more in discounting. Wheat costs are up 50% on last year and continue to affect us all but to discount is not the way out."
The identity was "a radical departure" from the previous design, said Ben Harris, business development director at design agency Anthem Worldwide. "It would suggest a move to become more accessible through the removal of some of the more rigid heritage cues," he said. "It will be interesting to see how this new identity translates to pack and whether in the consumers' mind the Warburtons identity delivers the same quality perception and trust that had previously set it apart."
The unveiling of the design comes a week after Warburtons' rival Hovis revamped its bread packaging. Hovis has, however, retained its 'Since 1886' message on the front of its packs.
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