Vibrandt to rekindle Mr Kipling’s heritage

Turner Duckworth’s high-profile redesign of Mr Kipling cakes (DW 20 January) is to be scrapped for a more traditional look, as food group RHM looks to pull back loyal customers amid declining sales.

In a surprise move, the company has drafted in Vibrandt, a consultancy outside of its four-strong design roster, to work on the project after carrying out an internal pitch among rostered groups Turner Duckworth, Jones Knowles Ritchie, Williams Murray Hamm and Ikon.

Vibrandt is tasked with overhauling the Mr Kipling identity and packaging. It will create designs across the entire range, spanning 60 products.

Vibrandt’s redesign is expected to be less radical than its predecessor (pictured) and will take ‘original’ cues from previous Mr Kipling packaging in a bid to reassure brand values and give a greater clarity to the range. The redesign will launch early next year.

Turner Duckworth’s redesign, which launched in January, featured scaled up on-pack photography and a bolder, more contemporary design, to reposition the brand. However, sources suggest the look has alienated core customers by steering away from the brand’s widely perceived ‘plastic cake’ heritage.

Furthermore, in its latest financial results, RHM reported a sharp 12 per cent decline in sales of its branded cakes.

Prior to Turner Duckworth, Brown ID, since subsumed into Enterprise IG, handled design work for the Mr Kipling brand.

It is the first time Vibrandt has worked on Mr Kipling, although the consultancy has carried out designs for other RHM products in the past.

The appointment of Vibrandt could mean other design consultancies that do not sit on RHM’s roster may be cherry-picked to work on projects, as the company continues to revitalise its Manor Bakeries division.

RHM streamlined its roster following a lengthy pitch process earlier this year in attempts to develop closer working relationships with consultancies (DW 30 June).

Another Mr Kipling makeover

• Mr Kipling is part of Manor Bakeries business at RHM

• Vibrandt appointed November 2005 to redesign Mr Kipling packaging. Updated design expected to launch next year

• Turner Duckworth’s redesign in January 2005 was rejected by RHM ten months later

• Sales of branded cakes decline by 12 per cent. Overall turnover profit for first half of year expected to be £70m.

• Brown ID, subsequently subsumed into Enterprise IG, was responsible for Mr Kipling pack design before Turner Duckworth