Pooch & Mutt rebrand barks up the right tree

The UK pet care brand needed an all-encompassing identity to represent dogs of every shape, size and lifestyle. Pooch & Mutt teamed up with Leeds-based global creative agency Robot Food to create a full strategic repositioning for a versatile and future-proofed brand.

New design elements like an updated mascot and contemporary colours aim to make decisions easy for consumers — whether at the shelf or on screen— at a time of conflicting nutrition advice and choice paralysis. Robot Food reimagined the previous mascot ‘Patch,’ adding ‘Penny Pooch’ in a suite of charming illustrations, created in-house. The art depicts a family of dogs, made in a loose, hand-drawn style to embody the brand’s playful side.

Pooch & Mutt stepped away from its previous black and white colour scheme to navy and cream. This shift adds a contemporary premium feel instead of veterinarian-style aesthetics. While the packaging unites all products with this primary scheme, bold secondary colours allow each SKU to stand out on its own, with the opportunity for future expansion of products. 

Photography was guided by an unfiltered, documentary-style direction, balancing cutesy animals with the imperfect reality of living with them.

The rebrand focuses not only on visuals but also on subtle verbal communication cues. At its core, the redesign delivers the message ‘for all breeds and needs’ to separate itself from the ‘right and wrong’ of the pet care sector. 

The new verbal identity aims to act as an ‘emotional support animal,’ offering a tone that is experienced, transparent and empathetic. Pooch & Mutt uses the humour of pet ownership as a means of stepping away from the ‘guilt trip’ messaging of the premium pet care sector.