Taxi Studio scoops Wonka’s rebranding ticket

Bristol design consultancy Taxi Studio has struck a deal with a self-styled Willie Wonka to rebrand his luxury chocolate products.

The consultancy will be rebranding Willie Harcourt-Cooze’s Venuzuelan chocolate alongside updating the labelling for the existing products and naming the varieties in a bid to strengthen the brand. As part of the deal, Taxi Studio will include its contact details on the back of the products.

Taxi was appointed three months ago after the TV chocolatier from Channel 4’s programme Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory was ‘inundated with orders for his products,’ says Taxi creative director Spencer Buck.

The aim of the rebrand is to enable it to compete on the same level as chocolate giant Cadbury’s in the future.

Taxi has created the brand Willie’s Cacao, of which there will initially be three varieties – a drinking chocolate, a coco variety and a dark chocolate variety. The products will be differentiated using the straplines – ‘world-class’, ‘supreme’ and ‘rambunctious’.

Taxi’s designers worked together with freelance lettering designer Peter Horridge. The logos will be applied to the packaging, uniforms, van liveries and all marketing communications.

The packaging will be available on the shelves from next week at Waitrose and Selfridges & Co stores.

‘We are creating a brand architecture for the products for the first time,’ Buck adds.