Go Ballistic mixes up new Schwartz salad dressing

McCormick Foods is to diversify its Schwartz product group with the launch of a Salad Dressing Mix range, Design Week can exclusively reveal.

The range, with all packaging and name generation by Oxfordshire-based consultancy Go Ballistic, goes on-shelf in major supermarkets in June. The project is worth a five-figure sum in fees to the consultancy.

The product has been launched in response to growth within the sector and targets consumers who like to cook, says a McCormick Foods spokeswoman.

‘The range provides a versatile answer for consumers who like to do more than just shake a bottle over their salad. It will allow them to create a freshly made dressing,’ she says.

‘[The company] was looking for a modern design that clearly and instantly communicates this new concept in salad dressings,’ she adds.

The consultancy was briefed to achieve standout from existing Schwartz ranges, while retaining some brand synergy, says Go Ballistic creative director Mark Mayo.

‘The Schwartz logo was sacrosanct in [terms of] size and placement,’ he says. ‘But we’ve made the range look fresh through use of the green. We’ve also sub-branded varieties using different colours.’

Mayo says the size of the packs posed a design challenge. ‘The packs are quite small so we used close up photography of the ingredients [by Paul Williams] to overcome that.’

‘We also came up with the idea of a small panel to explain why Schwartz has gone into this area,’ he adds.

Four varieties will be available at launch.

The consultancy was awarded the project without a pitch earlier this year, on the strength of previous work for Schwartz.