Cut Price Design
As the downturn in the financial markets continues, and the media eagerly prophecies worse to come, we may see a worrying trend in graphic design. A few weeks ago, I saw an advert for Discount Brands at Tesco. What was significant was the packaging and style of direction, clearly aimed at rivals such as Lidl and Aldi.
These two companies have branding that reflects their roots, distinctly German. After having visited my wife's family in what was East Germany, I was surprised to see the dramatic differences in marketing. We would consider them outdated, as is often the case when looking at such brands as Lidl.
This is not to say these businesses are not valuable assets, not only are they well priced, but they offer products not available in many other stores. My concern is the style of package design. As I said, I was certain I was not watching a UK based supermarket's advert, especially not Tesco. This implies that they feel the British public associate cheap products with a low standard of design, take a look at the following images of their existing bottom of the range products:
These are items that, quite frankly, make me feel as if I would hate the food or drink within. Possibly the intention of the decision, but if that is the case, it is a cynical policy, reserving attractive design for those with enough money to pay for it.
Sir Allen Lane once said, 'Good design costs no more than bad design', and he was entirely correct. Why should we feel that being careful with our budget means that we are unable to enjoy such simple pleasures as a home cooked meal. I believe that all levels of the market can present themselves in a way which shows they have confidence and pride in their service. Careful use of a small budget can have exceptional results, we have always done our best to help clients with restricted funds to make the most of them, and intend to do our best to promote an emphasis on crediting target audiences with intelligence and taste.
These two companies have branding that reflects their roots, distinctly German. After having visited my wife's family in what was East Germany, I was surprised to see the dramatic differences in marketing. We would consider them outdated, as is often the case when looking at such brands as Lidl.
This is not to say these businesses are not valuable assets, not only are they well priced, but they offer products not available in many other stores. My concern is the style of package design. As I said, I was certain I was not watching a UK based supermarket's advert, especially not Tesco. This implies that they feel the British public associate cheap products with a low standard of design, take a look at the following images of their existing bottom of the range products:
These are items that, quite frankly, make me feel as if I would hate the food or drink within. Possibly the intention of the decision, but if that is the case, it is a cynical policy, reserving attractive design for those with enough money to pay for it.
Sir Allen Lane once said, 'Good design costs no more than bad design', and he was entirely correct. Why should we feel that being careful with our budget means that we are unable to enjoy such simple pleasures as a home cooked meal. I believe that all levels of the market can present themselves in a way which shows they have confidence and pride in their service. Careful use of a small budget can have exceptional results, we have always done our best to help clients with restricted funds to make the most of them, and intend to do our best to promote an emphasis on crediting target audiences with intelligence and taste.
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