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Diamond packaging - brands celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

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By Jennifer Faull, Deputy Editor

June 4, 2012 | 4 min read

With a projected £10 billion to be injected into the British economy thanks to the Queens Diamond Jubilee, brand marketing directors are working overtime to ensure that their products are part of the celebration.

This comes as no surprise after the undeniable success and revenue generated before, during and after last year’s Royal Wedding. Anna Rigby, head of buying for home accessories and gifts at John Lewis, comments that: “Last year’s royal wedding increased consumers’ interest in royal memorabilia, and sales of these kinds of items have been consistently higher since then.” It is perhaps because of this that the likes of Fortnam and Mason “decided two years ago to focus on the Diamond Jubilee instead of the Olympics” in their marketing strategies.

With this in mind many brands are developing limited edition packaging with British iconography in order to appeal to the consumer. Marmite and Kingsmill have got into the spirit of the occasion by temporarily re-naming their brands to Ma’mite and Queensmill. A quirky idea that is sure to help their products stand out in sea of Royal Britannia themed shelves. In a consumer survey, drinks giant Schweppes, found that 33% of those they asked said that afternoon tea and cake were crucial ingredients for a proper British party. In order to make sure it is their tea and cake filling the party table on the big day, brands like Twinning’s and Mr Kipling are producing packaging with the intention of involving themselves in the consumer celebrations.Nicky Rubins, account director for Twinings at BrandOpus, states that “the limited edition Twining’s design brings to life the Queen's personality through quirky iconography surrounding the gold coronation carriage which is embossed to enhance the premium feel of the tins, with two colour options which add to the collectability of the teas.” Mr Kipling have launched Jubilee editions of classic British cakes and created a national advertising campaign which shows miniature figurines celebrating in a street party, enhancing their message of ‘choose Mr Kipling cakes for your Jubilee celebration!’

Many brands feel that revisiting the grand British past and tapping into its longstanding tradition is most effective at evoking the sense of community and ceremony in consumers, which is so frequently associated with the Jubilee. Brands, like Kellogg’s and Cadbury, are approaching their brand marketing with a sense of nostalgia. Kellogg’s have released limited edition boxes featuring the original 1950’s artwork which includes the first Coco the monkey and original Snap, Crackle and Pop characters, as well as the original Frosties and Corn Flakes designs. Cadbury are creating a limited edition Dairy Milk bar, strategically wrapped in the design which was on the shelves when the Queen was crowned in 1952. Susan Nash, trade communications at Kraft Foods, states that the chocolate bar “taps into consumers’ sense of patriotism and excitement around these celebrations.”

Brands lesser well known for their traditional Englishness are also embracing the occasion. Old El Paso, the Mexican food giant, has given their packaging a taste of Britain with union jacks and festive bunting. Ed Culf, marketing director at General Mills, parent company of Old El Paso, comments that: “the brand sits at the heart of friend and family occasions, so the Jubilee weekend, as the kick-off event to the ‘Summer of Euphoria’, is the perfect time to engage our consumers.” This engagement includes encouraging crowds, through Facebook campaigns and TV ads, to participate in a celebratory Mexican wave at the official Jubilee viewing. Renowned French champagne brand Moet & Chandon are no stranger to Jubilee celebrations, exclusively catering for the Queen on both her Silver and Golden anniversary. However this year they were given the rights to sell, and so have created a special Cuvee which has been simplistically and tastefully designed, whist retaining the brands signature look. The elegance of the design enhances the idea of making the weekend a special occasion.

Examples of some of the packaging that has been produced to mark the occasion can be seen in the image gallery.

To hear more about what brands are doing to celebrate The Queen's Jubilee, Robert Opei, curator of Jubilee at the Museum of Brands, an exhibition showcasing souvenirs and commemorative products made to mark the occassion, discusses the trends he is seeing in packaging.

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