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As part of a R110 million (US$16 million+) rebranding effort by Pick n Pay — a 40-year-old supermarket chain in South Africa, and one of its largest retail groups — that includes converting 450 stores and 1,200 product lines within a 24 month period, the store is taking the opportunity to update with a new logo that does away with its dated-looking use of slab serifs to embrace the ever-so-modern san serif.
Working with Landor’s UK office, Pick n Pay has dropped its clarendon-esque typography and adopted the font Cachet to handle all their corporate communications. In addition, Pick n Pay changed their corporate tagline from “We’re on your side” to “Inspired by you” — maintaining their focus on the customer in a slightly more positive way than the old You vs. Them language. Pick n Pay brought on Young & Rubicam SA to develop their new advertising campaign which draws from the revised tagline to create a new tonality focussed on “Inspired by—”. And, In their own words: The new Pick n Pay logo is an evolutionary change, which while quite different from the original, retains key features that have made Pick ‘n Pay distinctive in the retail environment.
Sample ad.
New product samples.
This is a much needed re-branding. The previous logo seemed dated through its use of typography and rendering of the P-in-a-box letterforms, not to mention the black and red color scheme which seemed out of place and a tad aggressive. The move to Cachet does help modernize the logo and overall brand communications, however I would guess that Cachet is tech/quirky looking enough to start appearing dated within a decade. Considering that the logo will be shortened in some contexts into “P n P” (utilizing the p-in-a-box motif for the “P” letters) the simplified “P,” having lost the outlined drop shadow, helps legibility. However, when the entire “Pick n Pay” logo is present there are certainly legibility issues that have arisen as a result of the negative “P” letterforms combined with the kerning of the positive letters, the two-color scheme and the loss of the apostrophe — creating a P … ick… n P… ay kind of situation where the “P” letterforms break the continuity as does the use of only two colors to identify essentially three words. Overall this is a step in the right direction, though with the resources being spent the final result still leaves room for improvement.
You can read a lot more about the new logo and Pick n Pay here, have a read through the online feedback regarding the new logo at Bizcommunity, and you can see a video of someone interviewing people about the logo change:
Thanks to Jonno Cohen for the tip.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Hessel Folkertsma’s comment is:
An improvement, but not just there yet.
PP
On Nov.26.2007 at 10:41 AM
Ty’s comment is:
I am bothered by the lack of a dot over the I in Pick.
On Nov.26.2007 at 10:48 AM
Kim Siever’s comment is:
I have to say that bag is quite possibly the best-looking shopping bag I have ever seen.
On Nov.26.2007 at 11:17 AM
John Mindiola III’s comment is:
yeah, the P-in-box motif may compromise READability, i think the necessity of keeping the Ps prominent doesn't at all hurt its LEGibility. let's never confuse the two. what you can decipher easily is much different than what you can read easily.
while i think cachet is a poor man's klavika, it's rounded edges do seem more cuddly, and therefore more customer-focused. overall, it's beautiful. not necessarily one part in particular, but as a system, it works on all levels.
On Nov.26.2007 at 11:33 AM
stock_illustration’s comment is:
Nice job, clean and simple, and it looks good in use as well.
On Nov.26.2007 at 11:36 AM
Kristoff’s comment is:
Have to say I'm not entirely won for this. They will need to rely extensively on their packaging for it to really stand out. That said, they enjoy quite a market presence in SA -- I guess in the end it shouldn't matter to them.
On Nov.26.2007 at 11:36 AM
Kristoff’s comment is:
I should have rephrased that. Shouldn't matter to them = will not make any significant difference in sales. Aside perhaps from a brief spike in customer visits who want to see what the new logo is about.
On Nov.26.2007 at 11:41 AM
Joe S’s comment is:
I really enjoy the update. I think that the 'n' is a bit unresolved, though not enough to destroy the mark. The packaging collateral is quite nice! God work!
On Nov.26.2007 at 11:41 AM
Mark’s comment is:
Too bad they didn't transfer the 80s penstroke under 'your' ;)
Somehow the logo sounds like ick nay because of the n being the same color as the ay.
Huge improvement nonetheless, but I'm wondering how long it will take before they need another redesign. The typical web 2.0 graphic style is already overdone and fading away.
On Nov.26.2007 at 12:36 PM
Andi’s comment is:
When compared to the other logo, this new logo is absolutely brilliant. Compared to all other instances of good design, this new logo fails to hit the mark.
I hate the tagline too. Not that the other one is better, but it feels awkward to me for a grocery store chain slogan.
Mark’s comment is:
Very nice.
One question though why did they remove the "'" over the n?
On Nov.26.2007 at 03:49 PM
Mark’s comment is:
let see if I can do this right
I MEANT to ask
Why did they remove the apostrophe over the n?
On Nov.26.2007 at 03:52 PM
Doug B’s comment is:
The new Pick n Pay logo is an evolutionary change, which while quite different from the original, retains key features that have made Pick 'n Pay distinctive in the retail environment.
I'm not sure I see those key features...
On Nov.26.2007 at 04:57 PM
sukisouk’s comment is:
i think it’s boring, i like the strange old logo much more.
i’d try to stick with the old letters (clean them up)
and just remove the squares; now it looks generic to me.
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
As Mark said, the "ick n ay" is glaring. I guess I can understand the boxed capitals as a reference to the old mark, but is the quaint nod-to-the-past really helping in this case? Or was is just an easy place to begin exploring that never got weeded out during the critique process?
The boxes don't do much besides wreaking havoc on the kerning and readability of the logo. And why are the 'n' and 'Pay' the same color? What happens when it becomes [P]n[P]? Does it just remain lopsided color-wise?
I do like the frendliness of the typeface, but there are just too many loose ends here for it to get a tip of the hat from me...
On Nov.26.2007 at 06:27 PM
damon’s comment is:
way better, but still not good.
the colours alone are pretty horrid.
anyway, not really familiar with the state of design in S.A so I'm not sure if this is a "wow, you've come a long way" or just another "went from ugh to meh and not much more"
helveticus’s comment is:
My dad owned a sign shop in South Africa and in the days before vinyl cutters he had to hand paint those outline-inline-reversed P's on their trucks, he always wished for a new Pick'nPay brand. Well he is retired now and I'm glad to see the old brand retired too.
It's better than the old logo but not great. Pity the local studios missed out on a great project. Next time I visit South Africa I will sure go and check out a PnP store.
Wes’s comment is:
I'm thinking that it already looks pretty dated, and the colours definitely add to that effect. Also, the bag looks a lot like a pharmacy bag, and all the little logos floating around make it look a lot more cluttered than I think it's intended to look. The colours don't really help in that case, either.
Also, what's up with the headphones guy? Isn't it a food store?
On Nov.26.2007 at 08:43 PM
K. West’s comment is:
Yes an improvement. That is not saying much at all. I think the new thing is putrid. It's bizarre kerning and all. Was there really no creative option to highlight the P's? Is it really necessary to highlight them at all? Is someone going to make the connection when they see "P n P" standing on its own?
On Nov.27.2007 at 01:53 AM
Gm’s comment is:
Ohhh, I had no idea Pick n Pay was a South African thing. There's one right near me, and it's the only one I have ever seen, because they're otherwise nowhere to be found in Australia. I don't think.
And the amusing thing here is that, Pick n Pay is the absolute epitome of tragic accidental retro out-datedness. It's like its own world in there: smiling suns murals, uncoved large circular yellow air-conditioning ducts, thin red metal shelves and racking, and the lino. Oh the lino!... Point is you could spend a few million in there and only dent the surface! I do wonder if we'll get the new logo, or any trace of reno at all.
450 stores and everything else on top of that for 16 million!? Perhaps they aren't as in desperate disrepair in South Afriac as the lone Pick n Pay Soldier in these parts is, but I still can't see that money stretching too far?
On Nov.27.2007 at 04:28 AM
Tom’s comment is:
I agree it's a good start, but already looks outdated. The color choices give me the impression of low quality.
On Nov.27.2007 at 10:41 AM
disgruntled designer’s comment is:
nice gesture to highlight pp - i'm being sarcastic if that's not obvious. this is pretty much a kinko's job on a much larger mark-up. if this is a sign of evolution and improved design then our profession is definitely screwed.
On Nov.27.2007 at 03:36 PM
C-Lo’s comment is:
"updated" is the ONLY word I can think of. Seems more "forced: then anything else. LIke they HAVE to update for the sake of updating
On Nov.27.2007 at 03:52 PM
Jeff’s comment is:
Ah, grocery store branding. Something I know a little bit about. I can't say I'm terribly bowled over by the rebrand, but it doesn't turn my stomach either. I go back and forth in my head regarding the letter spacing, I actually like the uniformity of the new mark. It's super clean! My main gripe is that terrible tagline. Ugh! I'm just not buying it.
On Nov.27.2007 at 05:52 PM
TheUprock!’s comment is:
I have to agree with Tom. Those colors certainly say, "low-fi" to me.
On Nov.27.2007 at 06:33 PM
Gm’s comment is:
Again I'm not entirely sure, but if Pick n Pay in South Africa is anything like it is here then anything other than low-fi would be somewhat mis-representing the product.
You can't set your audience up for a fall. If the product is "cheap", then it has to be sold that way. Because hell, cheap has its place in the world.
Pick n Pay is like a cross between Franklins (that's an Australianism, American equivalent anyone?) and Aldi. "Cheap! One stop shop! Come getcha crap, and move on!"
In this regard I think I even prefer the original...
And does anyone else think it's way weird that they've kept the completely arbitrary and inane colour ratios EXACTLY the same form the old one to the new one??
On Nov.28.2007 at 04:04 AM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
Boy, how about rebranding the 'Zoopy' logo shown in the video? Yikes that is down right nasty.
On Nov.28.2007 at 05:56 AM
MADPHILL’s comment is:
It is hilarious that people STILL don't "get" what design is all about. I guess I should be glad, because that means it is still effective in touching the sub-conscious. The old man likes the old one because, "people are used to it". That's called brand equity old timer...they made you that way. Unfortunately, your generation is expiring and the new brand is obviously addressing a younger generation.
One last rant. Quit bitching about the price (speaking to the video). 16mil on REBRANDING is A LOT more than a logo. There is a difference between a logo and branding....damn it.
haha.
On Nov.29.2007 at 05:20 PM
Richard’s comment is:
As a South African it's a shocker to have used a British Agency to design the logo. We have amazing talent in SA, and to pump money into the UK is really disappointing for a brand that is supposedly "Proudly South African"...
On Nov.30.2007 at 03:39 AM
ricardo’s comment is:
It looks like there was no time to kerning adjustments...
On Nov.30.2007 at 07:13 AM
TheUprock!’s comment is:
@Richard: Nothing new really -- that's just another historical example of Africa getting rammed by outsiders.
On Nov.30.2007 at 04:01 PM
Jan Erasmus’s comment is:
Why were South African Branding companies with SA designers not good enough for Pick n Pay?
Why did they go to Landor in London to use ex South African designers at Landor? Both of them are South African (fortunately). Johan Englenrecht who is now a design director at Landor and Andrew Sabatier who worked with him on the project as a senior designer. Both ex South African, Enterprise GI graphic designers.
What is not OK is the fact that they spent R110 Million elsewhere. This type of thing has happed a few times before with companies that South African designers know about. I am bitterly disappointed with them and as a result will be spending my shopping money elsewhere from Pick n Pay.
Rachel’s comment is:
I have to say that bag is quite possibly the best-looking shopping bag I have ever seen.
Which is funny since South Africa is very actively trying to get away from using plastic shopping bags - you have to pay for the plastic bags in Pick n Pay, and the reusable bags they offer for purchase at the checkout lines don't have the Pick n Pay logo on it.
This entry was actually posted while I was visiting family in South Africa (going through my RSS reader now) and when I think about it, I do remember seeing different Pick n Pay logos on different stores/shopping bags, but somehow it failed to make a real impression on me. The old logo, when I first saw it, reminded me of the Wild West - which is kind of dated, but is unique enough that I remembered it. The new logo just seems insanely bland to me. It's certainly modern looking, but doesn't have one distinctive element (like the old-timey P's of the old logo) that makes it kind of kitschy-memorable, or even just memorable. (Not that it matters, of course - Pick n Pay is pretty much the best/only major supermarket in SA besides Woolworth's, at least in the Western Cape, so I don't think they need to worry much about being memorable.)
What I really wonder is whether they're going to change the branding on their generic products, which are actually called "No Name."
On Dec.06.2007 at 03:23 PM
adam’s comment is:
i agree with the one comment about how the redesign seems forced. i understand they want to keep the brand equity, but its like they tried to pick the most "futuristic/techie-modern" typeface they could and ram it into the existing layout.
oh, and maybe im easily amused, but i kept laughing everytime i read "p-in-a-box" (haha, reminds me of that snl parady song with justing timberlake i think... but theres was more along the lines of "d-in-a-box"; )
On Dec.26.2007 at 12:07 PM
andre’s comment is:
i think it sucks farts out of dead seagulls.
yes it's cleaner and more modern, but that font is going to date very fast. it either had to be changed completely or just cleaned up a tad.
Jane’s comment is:
So what happened to the pay more for less - I mean pay less for more - message? PnP is well known for it's co-operation in the artificial food scarcity plan, efficiently starving the mugs. So why on earth would any thinking body even bother to comment on logo change? Surely anybody with a bit of IQ would simply state that the new logo is stupid; the idea when recruiting sheep is to appeal to their symbolic literacy, which is more developed for mind control than their common sense, which tells them "Inspired by you" means exactly the opposite. But they buy at PnP nevertheless, what choice is there after all?
On Aug.18.2008 at 11:47 PM
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