Dynamo chips in on Tayto refresh

Irish crisp and snack leader Mr Tayto will launch revamped packaging by Dynamo later this month.

Tayto is Ireland’s biggest selling snack range commanding 45 per cent of the market, however its market lead is gradually being nibbled away by Britain’s top crisp producer Walkers.

Phase one of Tayto’s re-branding concentrates on crisps and hits stores mid-September. Revamped packaging features colour-coded banners identifying flavours, a standard metallic blue background and a ‘refreshed’ Mr Tayto mascot.

Branding and product identification had become ‘weakened’ because of unstructured packaging add-ons like flashes and product information, says Dynamo design director Peter Brigdale.

Two new flavours – Mexican and Kick and Curry – will also launch and feature, for the first time, Mr Tayto donning relevant cultural dress.

‘The character represents much of Tayto’s Irish identity and research pointed to a huge amount of equity in the little guy,’ says Brigdale. ‘But Mr Tayto had become tired and slightly lost in the existing packaging. He’s now been modernised and positioned prominently to ensure instant recognition.’

Dynamo won the Tayto account in January following a four-way creative pitch against one English and two Irish consultancies. Work on the rebrand began in February.

Owned by the Cantrell and Cochrane Group, the Tayto stable also includes peanuts, popcorn and low-fat snacks, which are set to be overhauled in stage two of the rebranding project.