Winner
Chad Valley
Client
Woolworths
Consultancy
Carter Wong Tomlin

The brief
Chad Valley, which is owned by Woolworths, was one of the UK’s fastest growing toy brands in the mid 1990s. But in 1995, as the competition became more dynamic, Chad Valley was left behind and sales slumped. The big hitters in this sector - Fisher-Price, Telly Tubbies and Waddingtons – were supported by heavy marketing and TV presence, while Chad Valley was also up against other retailer-owned brands like Early Learning Centre and Mothercare. In comparison, Chad Valley was perceived as low budget, tired and neglected. It was letting Woolworths down.

Carter Wong Tomlin was briefed to turn Chad Valley into a key profit driver for Woolworths’ toy departments. The design was to include the creation of a fresh, appealing look with a consistent graphic style, creating brand coherence across all the products.

The design
The name Chad Valley dates back to 1860, and is thus familiar across the generations. The toys are aimed at children from birth through to ten year olds – the widest age span of any UK toy brand. Carter Wong Tomlin had to address issues of quality and value that the old packaging conveyed.

By creating a new logo and graphic identity, which includes a clearly positioned age range, identical across the range, CWT unified Chad Valley’s products, and set guidelines which the toy maker’s 50 suppliers could follow. The new design proved so successful production and packaging costs were reduced by 40% and time to market was also slashed, enabling Chad Valley to swiftly address and exploit market trends.

The results
• The Chad Valley brand grew from £41m to £49.2m between 2000 and 2001, with sales increasing 21.4%.
• As a result of the re-design, Woolworths sold more than twice as many Chad Valley toys in 2002, compared with 2000. Woolworths is now moving other in-house brands under the Chad Valley name.
• In a highly competitive sector, Chad Valley’s market share has grown by 1.5%.