Client
Kingsdown

Design Consultancy
Lewis Moberly
Robert Moberly
020 7580 9252
robert.moberly@lewismoberly.com
www.lewismoberly.com

The Challenge
Kingsdown sells bottled water sourced in Kent to restaurants as well as some bars, clubs and hotels around London. The hotel, restaurant and catering market accounts for 10% of all bottled water sales. In 2005 this was equivalent to £45million (Euro 67million) and the market is growing at 7.6% per annum. Kingsdown had successfully targeted mid-market London restaurants but wanted to compete with competitors like Hildon. It needed to appeal to top class restaurants where prices are higher.

The Brief
Kingsdown commissioned Lewis Moberly to create a new look for its corporate brand and identity and update its packaging. The aim of the redesign was to increase value sales by re-launching Kingsdown as a premium brand that would appeal to upmarket customers, but without alienating the existing customer base.

The Design
The new elegant and contemporary brand identity builds on the elements of the previous design, but uses just three colours for simplicity. A silver crown added above the Kingsdown name adds stature and gravitas while making a visual reference to the brand name.

A new bottle shape, with proud, high shoulders, makes the brand look more serious, and the plastic label has been put to better use to suggest the product’s source and natural purity. Making a feature out of the label’s transparency, it shows the chalky hills of the North Downs rolling from white and semi-translucent layers.

The Results
Launched in September 2006, Kingsdown’s new identity has seen value sales rise by 34% above the previous year and 50% above target. Volume sales have increased by 34% in the same eight month period, which is 50% above target. The company’s average rate for converting customers at the top end of the restaurant market has increased five-fold. Kingsdown is now stocked by restaurants including Kensington Place, Pied a Terre and Alistair Little. It’s also stocked by Christopher’s, whose owner refused to take the product two years ago purely because he did not like the old design. Previous customers are buying in greater quantities and Kingsdown has taken the opportunity of increased sales to increase prices.

Judges Comments
‘This is a small business that took design seriously’ said the judges, who praised both client and consultancy for creating a design that ‘not only repositioned the brand in customers’ minds but actually reduced costs too.’ ‘The design was the only thing that made a difference to this company,’ said Alison Jordan, Director of Marketing at Fortnum and Mason, ‘and it achieved more than the expected results - on a very limited budget.’

Gold
Corporate / Brand Identity – Design and implementation costs under £100,000