Tunnock's ditches Scottish roots and goes big on Britain in English market rebrand
Iconic Scottish confectionary producer Tunnock's has distanced itself from its Scottish heritage with the intent of shifting more teacakes in England and beyond.
Invoking some anger online with Scottish nationalists, an English advertising campaign saw the company shun the Scottish lion rampant from its packaging. As a result, the company promoted the “Tunnock’s Great British Teacake” on the London Underground.
The repositioning of the brand sparked a boycott of Tunnock's goods by a vocal minority on social media. Some saw the new strategy as an abandonment of the company’s Scottish roots with the family-owned company operating out of the town of Uddingston for over 100 years.
Company managing director Boyd Tunnock previously clashed with independence campaigners with his active role in pushing for a No vote in the Scottish independence referendum.
Reflecting on the uproar, Tunnock told the Sunday Mail: “It was the idea of my son-in-law, Fergus Loudon, who is the sales manager and looks after advertising. You’ve got the Great British Bake Off and things like that these days.
“We could have said Scottish but you’re then promoting Scotland. The vote said we’re British. We’re Scottish, however we’re still in Britain.”
He admitted that there are no plans to rebrand Tunnock's in Scotland however, with it retaining the Lion rampart north of the border.