JKR

It’s one of those rare brands whose name describes the entire category. The classic white squeezy bottle has been brought back to create some PR around the brand’s 50th anniversary (in line with the almost legal requirement for any brand out of its teens to evoke nostalgia during the current recession).

But how does the old design stack up against current packaging? The old pack could at a pinch be called “iconic”, in that it visually defined the category it lead. The simplicity of the design and iconography meant that, although the physical was category standard, it had a distinctive look. In the UK it also holds a special place in the hearts of those who grew up in the 60’s-80’s, as it was also a staple ingredient of many a craft project on the programme Blue Peter.

The new pack, being clear, has made range expansion (into different scents etc.) much easier. And it looks of today, which is important when a sense of efficacy is as compelling for consumers as yesteryear charm. But the striding baby, once divorced from his/her little green cameo has lost visual presence even though it’s bigger. Across the range, the baby switches direction and position. This dilutes the iconography rather than amplifying it. For me, the original’s simplicity and distinctiveness has over time been camouflaged in whooshy lines, bubbles and other such improvements. I also wonder if the current physical is more, or less, sustainable than the original? I’m guessing it gets less re-use from kids, but then they are probably on their Xboxes these days anyway.

I think it was both right and inevitable that Fairy should move with the times. But I wonder, did they throw the baby out with the bathwater when they chose to move so radically away from the white bottle? Initially, I guess this set them apart from imitators, but now the bottle looks just like everyone else again.

Would a more contemporary evolution of the original have been a smart move do you think? Or was Fairy right to cut the apron strings? I guess the answer lies in the fact that P&G can justifiably describe the old pack as iconic, but would struggle to claim this for the current one.