Bringing a fresh market rebrand to life for M&S Food

M&S Food has long been one of Britain’s most loved names, celebrated for its quality and taste. Over time, however, the brand’s identity and in-store experience had begun to feel out of sync. The challenge was to unite the vibrant spirit of a fresh market with the reassurance of a trusted supermarket. Our rebrand set out to do just that – positioning M&S as the true heart of deliciousness, wherever it may be.

Finding our North Star

"Lovingly crafted and deliciously foodie." Five simple words became our creative North Star. Not just a vision, but the heartbeat pulsing through every aspect of the refreshed brand.

"This simple but powerful concept became the foundation for every design decision," says Whippet's Creative Director, Sean Dwyer. "It's about making customers feel that same rush of excitement about food that the M&S team feels every day."

Bottling that market buzz

To capture authentic market energy, we took inspiration from fresh markets across the globe – from Texas to London to Melbourne. Our team visited and researched dozens of markets, absorbing the sights, sounds, and atmosphere that make these spaces magnetic.

"We wanted to bottle that market buzz," notes Tamsin Thom, Head of Copy and Creative Strategy. "That moment when you round a corner and discover something unexpected. That conversation with a vendor who's passionate about their products. That's what we needed to bring into a supermarket setting."

Typography with personality

The magic had to happen in the details. Working with a specialist typographer, we crafted bespoke letterforms – landing on typography that wouldn't feel out of place on a market stall one moment or confidently authoritative in a supermarket the next.

"When looking at typography for M&S, we felt it needed to be perfectly imperfect," shares Ashley Hodge, our Associate Creative Director. "Each typeface needed personality and character while working cohesively to achieve a fresh market feel."

This approach extended to our grid system, which draws inspiration from market stall layouts – creating visual organisation that allows for both structured information and spontaneous moments of discovery. Applied across all touchpoints, this flexible grid system balances consistency with adaptability.

"It provides the necessary structure to highlight key information while allowing creative freedom across vastly different formats," notes Ashley. "From packaging to digital platforms to in-store signage, our grid has become a signature element of the redesign, instantly recognisable yet infinitely versatile in application."

Colours straight from nature

For the colour palette, we looked directly at nature's larder. The resulting spectrum draws from the food itself, differentiating M&S from the typical brash colours often found in supermarkets. It lets us dial up the deliciously foodie choices that feel more authentic to M&S as a brand.

Vibrant greens from produce, rich earthy tones from mushrooms, and punchy dijon all work on a cast iron and meringue base to create an organic palette unique to M&S. These colours work together as a harmonious suite that creates immediate connections to fresh produce while allowing different product categories to establish their distinct territory within the broader brand world.

"The vibrant palette reflects what you'd like to see on a market stall," explains Sarah Butler, Senior Designer. "The right hues don't just look good – they make you hungry. They connect the brand to the food itself in a visceral way."

Photography that tells stories

This approach to colour naturally influenced our photography direction, which captures both stunning product detail and the bustling energy of market interaction. It's food shot with passion, not just technical perfection. The images tell stories – where ingredients come from, how they might be prepared, and the joy they bring to the table.

The verbal identity complements these visual elements by ditching bland food clichés. No more "delicious" or "mouthwatering" emptiness. Instead, it dives into specific flavours, textures, and origin stories that celebrate what makes each item special.

"In food writing, specificity is everything," George Nicholson, Senior Copywriter explains. "The difference between 'tasty cheese' and 'a creamy Wensleydale with subtle notes of honey' is the difference between telling and showing your love for food."

We didn't just want to describe the food – we wanted to inspire customers to dig further, explore aisles and love food as much as M&S does.

Adding the human touch

Hand-crafted illustrations tie the system together and add warmth and the human element that makes market shopping so engaging. They're deliberately imperfect, with the character of a stallholder's handwritten sign, yet they work in harmony with the typography and photography to create a distinctive brand world that feels both premium and approachable.

Standing out in a crowded market

The result is a brand that stands out boldly in Britain's competitive food retail landscape. Each element – from custom type to market-inspired grid to food-derived colours – works in concert to create a system that's instantly recognisable and ownable. Every touchpoint now delivers a consistent yet surprising experience where shopping becomes exploration and buying becomes discovering.

"What's remarkable here is the balancing act," explains Sean. "It feels like a fresh market but works with the scale and precision of a national supermarket chain. It's special yet accessible, premium yet welcoming."

As the identity rolls out across the UK, it's reconnecting M&S with its love of food. In an overcrowded world of food retail, M&S now offers something different – a place where the joy of market exploration meets the reliability of a trusted retailer.

M&S Food doesn't just sell food anymore. It celebrates it.

See the case study: M&S Food rebrand