Design Bridge has redesigned the packaging for Fortnum & Mason's core range of biscuits. The new designs put a contemporary twist on the decorative ceramics and fine china traditionally used for a British teatime and reflects Fortnum & Mason's ongoing focus on bold and beautiful design, as well as delicious product.
"We were inspired by the very Fortnum's, and also very British, institution of having tea and biscuits, especially the designs of the special china used to serve them on," commented Chloe Templeman, Design Director at Design Bridge. "Referencing the Fortnum & Mason archives, architectural details of the Piccadilly store, and fine Georgian ceramics we designed our very own decorative plate to incorporate into the new packaging designs. The result is a range of tins that feel so special and considered that people want to show them off next to their finest china instead of decanting the biscuits onto a plate."
Design Bridge went to great lengths to ensure that each of the six designs felt as special and unique as possible while still feeling part of the same family. The team hand-drew the decorative plate design and carefully varied its pattern of flowers and flourishes to create six unique crops, one for each biscuit flavour. Each crop has been applied to the design at a different scale, introducing a refreshing pace, energy and variety across the range. Their plate design has also been treated to give it a slightly worn feel, rather than being pristine and crisp, as if it's been well-loved and well-used in many a teatime.
"On pack we've added strong, vibrant colours to the pattern to give it a contemporary feel and have applied the colours in bold blocks that don't always match up with the edges of the pattern, adding energy and a sense of discovery," Templeman continued. "Combining metallic and non-metallic colours adds even more depth, while a de-bossed square in the middle of each design works as a consistent and calm focal point, displaying the flavour of the biscuits and added the new tagline created for the range: 'For extraordinary teatimes.'"
Design Bridge has also updated the structural design of the tin so they can be stacked seamlessly on shelf, better accommodating how the biscuits are merchandised both in London and Fortnum & Mason's outposts around the world. The new lid is inspired by vintage tea caddies and biscuit tins, which brings a consistent band of Fortnum & Mason's signature 'Eau de Nil' colour to the range. To finish it off, the Fortnum & Mason logo is proudly embossed on the front of each design in gold ink.
