Waitrose rolls out new brown sauce packaging – designed by a seven-year-old

Waitrose has worked with a seven-year-old boy on the redesign of its own-brand brown sauce packaging.

Harry Deverill's new design
Harry Deverill with his new design

The limited-edition brown sauce bottle features an illustration of a full English breakfast drawn by Harry Deverill, who wrote to Waitrose managing director Mark Price saying he couldn’t understand the current drawing on the bottle.

In his letter Harry (six at the time), said he could redesign the bottles for Price who has taken him up on the offer.

Essential Waitrose Brown Sauce packaging designed by Waitrose in-house team
Essential Waitrose Brown Sauce packaging designed by Waitrose in-house team

Harry, who was rewarded with John Lewis vouchers says, ‘I love brown sauce, but didn’t know what the picture on the front of the bottle was.

‘I love eating eggs and bacon with brown sauce, so I thought I’d draw a new version. I’m so excited that my picture is on bottles in lots of Waitrose shops.’

Harry Deverill's new design
Harry Deverill’s new design

Harry’s bottles will be rolling out across most Waitrose shops where they will be on-shelf alongside the regular design.

The current Waitrose Essentials packaging design was created by the Waitrose in-house team and won the DBA Design Effectiveness Award Grand Prix in 2011.

Waitrose sauces buyer Jo Heywood says, ‘When we heard Harry’s offer and read his letter, we couldn’t resist. We love our customers to tell us what they think of products, and when they’re as creative as Harry, it’s a pleasure to be able to do something fun like this.’

Harry Deverill's new design
Harry Deverill with his new design

Harry’s letter to Waitrose read as follows:

Dear Mark Price,

I am writing as the other morning I had Waitrose essential Brown Sauce with my bacon sandwiches. I asked Daddy what the picture is of on the label. Daddy didn’t know and neither do I. Please could you let me know. Mummy says I am good at drawing so if you would like me to draw a new picture for the label I would be happy to.

Kind regards, Harry Deverill, aged 6.

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Comments
  • Katie Parry September 14, 2014 at 11:59 am

    Do you think if I write to them about the slightly questionable leading between ‘brown’ and ‘sauce’ they’ll let me fix it? 😉

  • Katie Parry September 14, 2014 at 5:37 pm

    Do you think if I write to Waitrose about the slightly questionable leading between ‘brown’ and ‘sauce’ they might let me fix it? 😉

  • Tim Masters November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Katie; probably yes but only if you get your mummy to write the letter for you.

  • Mark Benham November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Waitrose do tell… what did you pay the boy? Ahh, must be careful not to be so cynical.

  • Susan November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    What a very clever marketing activity.

  • Mike Barlow November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    First laugh of the day excellent Katie and Tim thanks!

  • Mike Barlow November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    PS What is the original illustration supposed to be?

  • Marc Jones November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    That horrendous leading has now survived two iterations.

    Mike – at a guess… a tomato, two dates and two tamarind pods (as found in their sauce no doubt).

  • Simon Dry November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    The original illustration is a tomato, 2 dates and 2 Quality Street toffee wrappers balanced on a slightly tanned forearm.

  • Martin Driscoll November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    My five year old could do better than that!
    [Continue downwards until we reach embryo]…

  • Malcolm September 16, 2014 at 4:14 am

    Is that boy REALLY expected to eat that huge plate of food in front of him (covered in brown sauce, of course)?

  • Malcolm November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I’m awaiting the birth of my granddaughter next week. Maybe she could have go the week after.
    Next!

  • Neville Godwin November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Yep that leading is nasty…

  • Belle November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Having a close up image of both label designs to go with this article really would have made sense, don’t you think?!

  • Neil Withers November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    ahhh waitrose essential range… including the essentials brioche & smoked salmon 😉

    usvsth3m.com/post/51074663145/15-waitrose-essentials-that-are-anything-but

  • Bruce Renfrew November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Dust Harry’s crayon box for prints………Mummy had an accomplice…

  • Richard Knight November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    You do realise these labels are probably template based, so this label was the worse case scenario with the words set as there are no descenders or ascenders, which of course would clash if the leading was reduced (adjusting the leading per label was maybe not an option for some reason?)

  • Richard Knight November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    You do realise these labels are template based, so this label was the worse case scenario with the words set as there are no descenders or ascenders, which of course would clash if the leading was reduced (adjusting the leading per label was maybe not an option for some reason?)

  • Mark Reddick November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Designers with Children…
    Find a Waitrose product for your child and get them writing.
    Let’s start a movement.

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