PJ Smoothies rebrands

PJ Smoothies is poised to launch a full redesign of its packaging and on-pack branding by Landor Associates, in a bid to engage younger consumers.

The redesign of the PepsiCo-owned brand comes less than 18 months after what was then heralded as the smoothie sector’s biggest-ever relaunch – also overseen by Landor – which sought to position the brand as a more mass-market drink.

This latest move will see three new flavours added to the range, with redrawn pack graphics. It will be followed by the introduction of a new bottle design to make it ‘more convenient and contemporary’.

Landor creative director Derek Johnston explains that the decision to redesign the branding so soon follows consumer feedback from the 2006 launch, which showed that the work had, in fact, over-steered the brand in a mass-market direction.

‘The intention with the previous redesign was to give PJ Smoothies a mass-market appeal, to make it a healthier option than Coke, for instance,’ he says.

‘Through consumer feedback, we found that it was losing something of the original PJ spirit, as a small and quirky brand. We wanted to get back to the brand roots, to make it more energetic and appeal to a younger, health-conscious generation,’ Johnston adds.

He explains that the concept of ‘living vividly’ informed development of the label graphics. In what he says is an ‘irreverent and cheeky’ tone, the letters ‘P’ and ‘J’ form the basis for descriptors of each of the flavours in the range.

‘We came up with things like Power Jump, Pure Jaunt and Perk Jiggle in a deliberately Sergeant Pepper/Yellow Submarine-style of graphics to represent the drink’s healthy energy boost. It also gives good standout on the shelf,’ Johnston says.

PJ Smoothies marketing director Will Ghali says that the new packaging is intended to be fun and to appeal to a younger consumer.

Responding to whether or not PJ Smoothies competes directly with Innocent, Ghali says, ‘We are in direct competition in so much as we are both in the smoothie business. Innocent has now gone mainstream, while we are focusing on a younger market.’

SMOOTHIE OPERATOR
• Entrepreneurs Harry Cragoe and Patrick Folkes launch the Pete & Johnny smoothie brand in the UK in 1994
• Early products are flash-frozen and imported, until in 1998 the company invests in a manufacturing plant in Nottinghamshire
• New product development includes Frooties, a range aimed at children, launched in 2003
• PepsiCo acquires the PJ Smoothies brand for £20m in 2005
• Landor Associates completes new brand identity and packaging in January 2006, then relaunches the brand in May 2007