Walker's Shortbread
Client: Walker's Shortbread
Agency: D8, Glasgow
Agency: D8, Glasgow
Walker’s is an iconic Scottish family company founded in 1898 by Joseph Walker and is one of Scotland’s greatest exports, now sold in over 100 countries. They are the original, and much imitated, tartan trailblazer worldwide. This rebrand, repositioning and packaging project gives the brand a facelift with a cleaner, more contemporary look inspired by the Walker’s long heritage. A redrawn and more considered use of tartan forms part of a new system of pack hierarchy created alongside a more casual style of photography both on pack and off, allowing the products to become the key visual and consumer choice driver.
The new logotype was inspired by an original piece of hand painted sign writing found in the family archives, and the major step of introducing an apostrophe in the brand name recognises the role of founder Joseph – and the wider family by extension – in its ongoing success. This is locked up on pack with the Royal Warrant which has been awarded to Walker’s in recognition of the superior quality of its shortbread and oatcake products.
A depiction of Prince Charlie’s Farewell to Flora MacDonald by G.W. Joy has featured on Walker’s packs since the family hung the original painting in its Speyside home, and as every bite of Walker’s shortbread is a memorable Scottish-made moment in its own right, it seemed only appropriate to redraw the image in keeping with the new pack style. Additionally, the founder of the company and the creator of the original recipe still used today, this depiction of Joseph’s name previously adorned Walker’s vans and has been redrawn and reintroduced to bolster the brand’s provenance credentials.
