Wagstaffs’ magic recipe

Baby food should be fun and good, but putting the right ingredients together when designing the packaging of the products can be tricky.

Wagstaffs design consultancy has redesigned the packaging for Cow & Gate Packet Meals range with the aim of satisfying the needs of both babies and their mothers. ‘We wanted to put across the enjoyment that goes with feeding a child, while reassuring the parents about the nutritional quality of the product,’ says group account director Charlotte Gifford. The result is a series of brightly coloured packs with a fresh and fun image that also emphasises the quality of ingredients.

The 25 lines are divided into breakfast, savoury and dessert meals and include delicacies such as Vegetable Casserole, Cheese and Tomato Pasta and Apple Crumble. The range is divided into two groups, one for babies from four months of age and another for babies aged seven months and over.

Wagstaffs’ initial sketches show a vivid imagination and a jokey element. Images of young children dressed up as bumble bees and apples reflect the playful atmosphere that accompanies feeding time.

However, the client wanted a more ‘traditional’ approach, one that would lean towards the childcare element. It also needed a design that would revitalise its image as a baby food manufacturer and differentiate it from other brands in the crowded market sector.

The final design combines product shots by Hilary Moore and Tim Bowden with a nursery rhyme visual by illustrator Tom Clayton. It combines Wagstaff’s original fantasy world with the nutritional, healthy theme that the client wanted. On the back there is a ‘cut and keep’ rhyme, as well as information about the other Cow & Gate products. The range will be on the shelves in early September.