In 2010-11 the John West brand was steadily declining in a commoditised category, as customers had become accustomed to buying on price. The established brand had already lost its share to main rival Princes, as well as a supermarket own label. Coley Porter Bell (CPB) was asked to re-design the brand to focus on what people loved about John West tuna – heritage, expertise and knowledge of the sea.
CPB went right back to the brand’s roots and developed the strapline ‘leading the way since 1857’. They translated this idea into a creative brand identity that included beautifully crafted illustrations of all the different fish species John West provides, along with other fishing related icons like boats and anchors.
Following the redesign, the value of John West increased by £28.7m year-on-year and is now the largest canned fish brand in the UK, with 32.5% market share.
