Mr Kipling’s resistance to packaging style crumbles

Steve Osborne’s panegyric (Review, DW 3 February) about Turner Duckworth’s design abilities (generally excellent though they are) regarding the new Mr Kipling packs is considerably overstated. The notable factor is not the pack design quality, but the complete mind-shift of Mr Kipling.

The design is remarkable only in its potential ubiquity: it has been shown to clients of the ilk of Mr Kipling in every pack concept presentation of most design groups for the past 30 years. Analyse the

content: the logo and type are very Smith and Milton circa 1980; the photography, Laurie Evans.

It’s in every designer’s back catalogue, filed under ‘Frisson: big, abstract, v. tasteful serif type’.

I’m sure that Dave Brown, of the then Brown ID, has presented its like many times in dealings with the ‘Mr Kiplings’ of Britain.

The real surprise is that the Mr Kipling has finally gone for it after so many years of total resistance – a realisation that significant packaging spend/ presence is what makes a sale?

Let’s hope that thought has also been given to improved product quality: a dissonance betwixt box and bite might mean more time in the kitchen for Mr Kipling.

Bev Whitehead

Senior lecturer of graphic design

Surrey Institute of Art and Design, University College

Epsom KT18 5BE