Why we like Waitrose branding so much…

As big foodies in the DEN we thought it would be appropriate to throw in some good quality analysis on some good quality nosh and its provider. This vender is particularly awesome and wholesome for its proud heritage, superb service, convenience of a supermarket and originality of a specialist shop. (How it started out!) Waitrose is known for providing luscious products and fresh groceries for just a bit more than you would usually spend at a regular store and is a great source for deli and bakery. It’s branding says it all and successfully depicts this ethos in style, colour, graphics and imagery.

Their unmistakable lime green, grey and white corporate colours are clean-cut, civilized and appear fresh. Their scheme suggests quality, professionalism and eco-friendliness due to the splash of green. We like this about Waitrose! What is also memorable about their brand identity is their consistency between store design, partnerships and sister designs. The John Lewis Partnership acquired the small, original business in 1937, Peter Jones is a proud partner and all identities give off that same clean, quality, friendly vibe. This is due to their simple, organized website design; they use only rectangles and horizontal stripes to create sections and differentiate site content and layout. The colour palette emphasizes white as a front-runner throughout every brand scheme and they particularly focus on good quality food and product imagery. Photography is a large part of their branding coupled with block colour. On their packaging within stores this is predominantly apparent. For example Waitrose tins have a large banner image around the tin taking up most of the top of the label and is all along the label width. Block colour sits underneath it as a background, linking to the company’s palette in someway and the product itself. This consistency is topped off with continuity in typefaces used and the same spacing arrangements where text sits and where it doesn’t. White again is also a predominant colour for text in this brand format.

The downside to this brand design, we think is their use of red. Not a great fan of the lime green and brilliant red combination, Waitrose brand designers have used this colour to highlight the offers and deals on the website section. It can also be seen in-store with boards, signs and posters etc. The reason behind this colour usage probably wasn’t done to clash the colours, but because red is universally known for being associated with deals and money off. It is also known for its connection with alerting and grabbing one’s attention. With branding there are psychology links as well as intelligent aesthetic design decisions.

Another thumbs up Waitrose receive is due to their use of illustration. Much like the Zizzi rebrand post we created, (see here) their brand also incorporates hand drawn-looking, authentic food illustrations. We are suckers for that little extra special touch and indeed the drawings add that to their brand. A bit of rough, sketchy and delicate linear illustrations add a relaxed, warm, family-orientated presence to Waitrose’s branding.

Check out more for yourself and see what you think about Waitrose’s branding here online, or pop into their store and grab some freshly baked bread while you’re at it! You will not be disappointed-their branding is exactly what it says on the tin- good quality, fine specialized food and groceries. Yum! We do enjoy a good design to look at while we’re munching.