Jack of all Ranges

Unlike most supermarkets, every product in Tesco’s latest venture Jack’s, is own-brand.

Although we wrote a blog about its inception back in September, Jack’s is worth another visit as it is rare that such a large company with so many facets is designed from scratch. With hundreds upon hundreds of these own-brand products introduced last year, the rationale behind their design and how they fit together to create a full retail offer is worth another look.

Although there is a distinctly patriotic red, blue and white theme running across most of Jack’s instore communications the individual products designs are much more eclectic.

Liz Jones, a client director at 1HQ, an agency charged with designing 500 products said their main aim was to create a “sense of consistency” while giving specific ranges “their own personalities”.

Liz Jones goes on, “We didn’t have the restraints of Tesco, we had more freedom. There is this idea that value packaging needs to look basic, but we wanted people to feel good about buying cheaper products”.

A thing that struck me is that although all of the products are own-brand, and advertised at such in the company’s manifesto, the overall look of the range is varied, eclectic enough to be any other shop on the High Street.

When you are walking through a shop, the products on the shelves have the potential to give the shop itself a sense of personality, far above and beyond the collaterals and wayfinding. Every part of Jack’s is considered as a whole, which allows them to design their aesthetic in a way that other supermarkets simply can’t.

Although not consistent, each product builds a vivid image of Jack’s as a proudly patriotic, nostalgic, fun and almost self-effacing entity. These traits perfectly suit the current climate, but Jack’s can shape its own destiny, rather than being at the whims of the products on it shelves. I am looking forward to seeing how this supermarket experiment plays out.