A case study in range branding: How we elevated Asda’s new range of Exceptional drinks
Exceptional by Asda is their new own-brand range set to elevate the supermarket’s premium tier offering. The Exceptional range combines the best quality products curated by experts with a wide range of mouth-watering products and everyday treats.
Asda’s sophisticated new brand aims to champion taste whilst providing shoppers with the very best quality. The Exceptional brand was launched across multiple categories, with over 500 products included in the range – each with its own story to tell.
70+
new products in the Asda Exceptional range of wines, spirits, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks
Barlow & Co. were tasked with applying the new Exceptional branding to the range spirits, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as over 60 different wines from Asda’s premium tier.
Previously branded as Asda ‘Extra Special’, many of the products in the range were designed with a consistent colour palette and typographic style, and as a result were lacking the standout, visual diversity and quality cues that the they deserved.
The brief to us was to rebrand all of Asda’s top-tier own-brand drinks and elevate the design and packaging of each range for a premium ‘Exceptional’ feel.
What we did
— Comprehensive range audit
— Brand design
— Creative packaging concepts
— Label design
— Artwork and print production
Barlow & Co. created the new rosette was created as a new version of the Exceptional branding, unique and exclusive to the wine, spirits and drinks category.
The rosette sits separate to and proudly above the labels as a recognisable symbol for shoppers, as well as an endorsement of quality. By evoking many of wine and spirits’ popular motifs – medals, seals, and crests – it fits in with a wide variety of styles, from classic cocktails favourites to contemporary New World wines.
Across Asda’s range of drinks, the rosette is a mark of Exceptional quality
“The launch of our new premium brand, Exceptional, marks an exciting time for Asda’s own-brand offering. We’ve developed a range which offers customers something they’ll feel really proud to put on the dinner table – these products ooze quality and celebrate the very best of Own Brand, with taste at their heart.”
Sam Dickson, VP Commercial Strategy, Own Brand at Asda
In addition to applying the new Exceptional branding, Barlow & Co. were asked to evolve and redesign the existing wine labels for improved standout and better category cues.
Each label was adapted to fit with the new Exceptional rosette and to make maximum use of available bottle space. Barlow & Co. crafted the typography of each label to add authentic character and illustration was adapted and redrawn where necessary.
60+
different bottles and label designs across the new Exceptional range of premium tier wines
Across Asda’s range of drinks, the rosette is a mark of Exceptional quality. Adding authentic wine cues and value-engineering print finishes for maximum impact in-hand on on-shelf were all steps taken to add to the premium feel.
As well as the gold foil of the Exceptional rosette, additional print finishes were used to add premium detailing and an elevated in-hand experience. New capsule colours were chosen to complement the label designs or the wine category.
As wine and drinks specialists, Barlow & Co. were entrusted to deliver this important update to Asda’s own-label offering as part of wider project to update all of Asda’s own-label wines and spirits.
See more of our work for Asda, inlcuding The Distiller for Asda and the award-winning Asda Wine Atlas collection.
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