In recent years, chilled product meals have suffered from negative publicity. Few new customers have come onboard, and regulars are buying less. As City Kitchen saw it, the time had come to revitalise the chilled meal market.
Honey Creative were asked to develop a new brand for a range of healthy, contemporary ready meals. The aim was to create an honest dialogue with consumers based on taste-promise, interest, freshness and convenience. Wanting to steer clear of ‘big company design’, Honey devised graphic presentations, including logo, product descriptors and illustrations, with a home-made, hand-drawn feel. Sketches were used to evoke the feel of a dish, while the products themselves were kept highly visible within the packaging. Rigid trays were also introduced to aid handling and portability.
Over one year, sales came in at around £19 million. Since its launch, more than two thirds of The City Kitchen sales have been category-expanding, attracting new customers to ready meals.