Barratt Sweet Shop refines its palate with new East London identity

The historic British confectionery company needed a way to grow retail distribution and appeal to a younger market. Barratt Sweet Shop partnered with global brand design agency Pearlfisher to create a confident identity centred around East London.

Brand identity in the confectionery industry has remain unchanged for years, relying on nostalgia cues and infaltilised mascots. Barratt, born in the creative hub of East London, decided to rely on its origins of playful invention and bold experimentation with its contemporary new design.

Barratt took its nostalgic and cult sub-brands — Dip Dab, Refreshers, Fruit Salad, Wham and Flumps — which stood on their own, and solidified them under one unified brand built around the idea of ‘sweet-fuelled swagger.’

The redesign positions the brand in line with the personality of East London: creative, cultural and full of attitude. Barratt’s new mascot, George the jaguar, embodies swagger with a red sweatshirt, sunglasses and unforgettable purple fur. Created with the casual style of artist Aron Leah, known for his previous work with New Balance and Nissan, George the jaguar serves as a unifying feature across all packaging. A new tone of voice further reflects the confident energy of East London with more punchy and playful language.

With a refreshed logo design, the Barratt wordmark features softer edges, inflated letters and a subtle drop shadow, emulating the quality of squishy sweets while creating a bolder presence on the pack.

Packaging features new colours, replacing the industry’s saturated artificial palette with bright yellow, blue and pink pastels. Detailed cityscapes give a sense of place and storytelling to once again anchor the brand in East London while giving George the jaguar a home.

“Our challenge to Pearlfisher was simple: keep Barratt fun, relevant and full of energy for the next generation of sweet lovers, while staying true to the heritage we’re all proud of,” says Michael Inpong, chief marketing officer of Valeo Foods.