Mug Shot

Sector:

Convenience Food:

Explore:

Symington’s created the Mug Shot brand in 2001. The range of dried (to re-hydrate) products are described on pack as “The (pasta, noodle or couscous) snack you make in a mug!” Experience and research showed that they are most popular with women at the “Al-desk-o” and “4-ish” snacking opportunities. The competitors are the convenient soup-in-a-cup products and some snack sized instant noodles.

8 years after launch the brand needs to be updated and, following research findings, tuned to the current market and opportunities. The product was very popular once trialed but is confusing to first time users. The name and packaging adheres to the typical instant noodle and soup category, looking masculine & artificial when the product is actually good quality and very natural. The product format felt dated and uninspiring too. Making up the product is open to miss interpretation and short cuts & the consumer currently always needs a kettle, mug and mixing tool.

We wanted to broaden the appeal to professional females & males for the lunch and 4pm (4-ish) snack occasion. Mug Shot is truly a healthy and natural dried product and could beat rivals on perceived and actual quality.

Design:

Through exploring and testing a range of graphic developments Path understood that the brand had a very loyal and valuable following that needed to be preserved while strengthening the packaging to communicate to impulse customers too.

The brand mark was redrawn as much more portable and high impact unit. The packaging architecture was reordered to allow clear communication of ranging and product benefits. The product were reshot to maximize appetite appeal. Over all the power and impact of the pack was turned up to ‘eleven’ to give far more stand out, impact and communication on shelf.

Realise:

Our packaging has just launched so we are yet to see the effect but currently the Mug Shot brand is worth £13.5m and growing 46% year-on-year.”