“Just baked”: Design revamp for Premier Foods' Mr. Kipling international expansion

26 Oct 2018 --- Mr. Kipling, a Premier Foods brand, revamped its packaging design to appeal to new international markets. In order to appeal to fresh consumers, UK design agency Robot Foods focused on a transmitting “just baked” feeling through the packaging. Despite being a household name in the UK, it’s unknown in markets such as Australia and the US. 

“It was clear there was a great opportunity in both the US and Australia for Mr. Kipling to provide a sophisticated, high-quality packaged cake, but entering as a challenger brand, Mr. Kipling would need a bold new presence to compete,” says Kimberley Tonge, Senior Brand Manager for International of Sweet Treats at Premier Foods.

“We found most popular US products were actually pre-packed with super long shelf lives, but Australian consumers almost always preferred ‘just baked.’ ‘Fresh quality’ was our common ground to work from and key to communicate,” says Martin Widdowfield, Creative Director at Robot Food.

“Cake is the hero and, wherever possible, product shots are accompanied by prominent ingredients. We drew inspiration from European patisseries and chose bright pastels for a fresh, contemporary aesthetic over stronger bold colors that risked feeling artificial.” 

To complement an ever-changing color palette, the classic Mr. Kipling wordmark stands strongly front and center on pack while straight-talking language brings a younger confidence to the brand. 

Initially intended as two separate executions, Robot Food chose to develop a more holistic expression with variations considered for each respective market. On the finished result, Tonge noted “We love it, the new design is fresh and iconic.”