Sir, Tesco’s decision to extend its Perfectly Imperfect brand of wonky vegetables into fruit (‘Tesco lists ‘wonky’ apples and stawbs,’ 16 April, p36) is a wider reflection of brands adopting a more honest conversation with consumers.
Today’s consumers have wised up to the meticulous and flawless brand that sells a promise of perfection. Consumers don’t want frills and fanfare any more, even if that means a product may not be as aesthetically pleasing. We are indeed seeing a rise in what might be termed ‘stupid design for smart people’, a deliberate dumbing down because we know they know that the game is up. The rules are changing.
Brands, like people, are catching on to the notion they don’t need to be perfect to be successful or to be liked. Those brands willing to showcase the truth stand to gain consumers’ trust, loyalty and even respect.
By selling misshapen strawberries and wonky apples, Tesco is letting consumers in on the game and at the same time is finding a way to shift that perfectly healthy class 2 fruit. This demonstrates the retailer’s commitment to sustainability, purpose and to showcasing a brand that’s not afraid to err on the side of imperfection. After all, it’s not really imperfection.
Wonky fruit is the natural conclusion of the farm-to-table movement and we’re not just seeing it in products but in design execution too. Today we see through the pastiche of celebrity brands to the intriguingly flawed versions of who they really are.
Mark Gandy, global brand director at strategic creative consultancy Bluemarlin
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