S&M packs Sainsbury’s new range

Sainsbury’s begins rolling out Perform+Protect from today, its first cross-category own-label brand for health and beauty as well as household products, with an identity and packaging designed by Smith & Milton.

The supermarket is positioning Perform and Protect as an ‘eye-catching and coherent’ brand for families, says Sainsbury’s brand manager Paul Smith.

‘The aim is to make the range easy to find in-store, while explaining what it is that’s different about [it],’ he comments.

Smith & Milton has created a ‘four square-plus device’ for the graphics, which employs photography and different colour palettes to distinguish between household and health and beauty products, says a consultancy spokeswoman.

Smith says consumers will buy Perform and Protect for ‘specific purposes’ and the focus on protection prevents any confusion about the same brand being used in both categories. He believes examples in Dutch and US markets have proved the worth of the linking of household and health and beauty products, though he admits it is a ‘bold move’ by the supermarket.

Smith says Perform and Protect will replace some Sainsbury’s own-label ranges over time, including detergent brand Novon, fabric conditioner EasyIron and shampoos Headway and Wash & Shine.

The consultancy, which is on Sainsbury’s design roster, began work on the project in November 2001, with a creative team headed by design director Nik Bedford.