B&B Studio’s smoothie brand wins most effective design

B&B Studio’s work for smoothie brand Mockingbird Raw Press took home the main prize at this week’s Design Effectiveness Awards.

It won both a Gold and the Grand Prix, while other Golds went to White Bear with Tom Parker Creamery, and Else with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

B&B Studio oversaw the name, messaging, tone of voice, visual identity and packaging for the premium smoothie start-up. To express the quality of the product (cold-pressed is a superior smoothie-making process) the designers drew on craft cues from the coffee and beer sectors.

Since launching in 2020, Mockingbird has disrupted the dominance of Innocent and Naked as the fastest growing smoothie brand, becoming the number one contributor to overall category growth.

In its launch year, Mockingbird beat its value sales target by 39.1%, and in the following two years it increased sales by 158% and then again by 136%, while competitors struggled.

Another Gold winner, and another FMCG, overcame a struggling market. White Bear’s rebrand of Tom Parker Creamery meant that despite lower volume sales overall in the dairy category in 2022, the family-owned business bucked this trend, with unit sales and revenue both almost doubling by September 2023.

Previously sold through markets and a delivery service, the brand’s fresh milk, cream and flavoured milks hadn’t had to compete on supermarket shelves. But in 2021, it was set to trial in 79 Sainsbury’s stores, and needed a new look. The redesign focused on the ethical way the creamery treats its cows, differentiating it from its mass-producer competitors.

It was so successful that it contributed to the brand being stocked in 733 Sainsburys stores, rather than the initially-planned 79. It was also taken up by 300 Waitrose stores and online by Ocado.

The third Gold went to Else’s redesign of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ website. Coming out of the post COVID travel slump, the brand needed to attract new customers quickly, as the launch of two new ships took its fleet capacity from 96,000 guests a year, to 140,000.

The first stage of Else’s work focused on refining the flow, navigation structure and visual design of the website, intended to engage the target audience.

The redesign improved data capture opportunities, with sign-ups increasing 176%. In the first half of 2023, digital revenue was up 157% on 2019 and, 69% of online bookings came from new customers, an increase of 25%.

Founded in 1989 and organised by the Design Business Association, the awards recognise projects that have a “tangible and measurable impact” on positively changing businesses, and society as a whole.

“With the challenges that economies, companies and communities around the world face today, illuminating the value of design in responding to change has never been more important,” said DBA CEO Deborah Dawton, “Across industry sectors and design disciplines, [the winners] prove how essential design is in creating a brighter future for all.”

Sean Carney, chair of the judging panel, added, “The winners provide clear and compelling evidence that design can and does deliver value, improving business results, positively impacting society and improving lives.”