B&B studio and Path create vibrant brand expression for Simply Cook
How people choose, cook and consume food is changing. From app-based food delivery services such as Deliveroo and UberEats to the rise in hybrid cuisine, it’s clear everyday gastronomic offerings will only rise in their sophistication. This shift extends to the home, too, with companies launching products where customer choose and use ingredients chosen specifically for their meal - and all from one box.
With such a sudden rise of an increasingly versatile market, the need for brand differentiation is crucial. For London-based B&B studio, rebranding British food subscription service Simply Cook meant emphasising its restaurant-quality offerings while ensuring it stood apart from the competition. The project was part of a wider change by Simply Cook to update its visual identity and stand out in the notoriously loud environment of supermarket shelves. And, launching in Sainsbury’s last month, B&B studio found the most engaging strategy came with an emphasis on the sheer joy often found through cooking.
For Shaun Bowen, creative partner at B&B studio, Simply Cook’s new retail offer goes beyond simply providing a variety of ingredients to a lazy chef. It allows the customer to reconnect with their food - while taking the hassle out of planning a meal in advance. “After a long day at work or when they’re tight on time, the decision of what to have for dinner can be an added stress that people just don’t need,” says Bowen.
“Our solution cuts out that stress, while reminding them of the joy and relaxation that the cooking process itself can bring.”
Chris Forecast, creative director at Path, the design consultancy that worked alongside B&B Studio to develop Simply Cook’s new brand expression, says, “In creating the structure, we wanted to reinforce these ideas at every point of interaction, from opening the first panel and seeing a mouth-watering photo, to tearing the box open and discovering the recipe, to being able to easily prop the recipe up when you start cooking,” he explains.
When developing the new identity, for B&B studio strong visuals and a vibrant colour palette are key to customer engagement and building up an audience of foodies who perhaps lack the time to buy the ingredients for a different meal each night. And, as people eat as much with their eyes as with their mouths, emphasising Simply Cook’s unique flavour pots was key. As far as Path was concerned, the packaging had to demonstrate the real passion Simply Cook has for its unique and rustic recipes.
Oli Ashness, Simply Cook founder, says, “Over the past few years our online subscription service has gone from strength to strength and the time had come for us to branch out into the retail environment. These powerful recipe kits pack a real punch, but in a crowded marketplace, we needed a strong visual identity to differentiate from the competition.”
“B&B studio and Path have worked brilliantly together to deliver a unique proposition for our in-store recipe kits, with packs that engage our customers from the moment they set foot in the store till they’re at home making quick and easy meals that are high quality and absolutely delicious.”
Given the increasing demand for quick, hassle-free but nutritious meals that fit around even the busiest of lifestyle, it’s no wonder vibrant, healthy solutions to traditional meal solutions are being sought. For B&B studio and Path, the new brand expression for Simply Cook is indicative of the future of food retail.
For more from Transform magazine, follow us Twitter @Transformsays
Simply Cook Recipe Kit from We are Path on Vimeo.
