Fortnum's Famous Animal Crackers

01Challenge

Fortnum & Mason's nuts range was due a redesign. The task was to give the jars an idea that felt unmistakably Fortnum's: characterful, witty and worth giving. It had to work across every flavour in the range. It also had to travel beyond the jar, into social posts, collateral cards and film.

02Insight

Victorian nutcrackers are charming curios, cast in all kinds of shapes and sizes, from the iconic crocodile to almost every animal imaginable. These brass objects brim with personality and quirk. They made the perfect 'nutty' icons for the range.

03Idea

With paw and jaw and beak and snout. Each flavour gets its own animal nutcracker character, from Sir Crackalot the crocodile to Bruno, Finn, Thérèse and Chip. Every label carries a witty verse. 'With paw and jaw and beak and snout, they crack the shells to get them out.' The characters turn a range of jars into a cast of personalities, made for gifting.

04What I did

I led the creative direction on the range, from the initial concept onwards. I directed the character illustrations and the verses that run across the labels. I also oversaw how the cast carried into social posts, collateral cards and the film, so every touchpoint told the same story.

05Craft & deliverables

• Before and after: the jar range redesigned
• A cast of characters based on Victorian brass nutcrackers
• A label for every flavour, each with its own verse
• Social posts and collateral cards
• A film that brings the characters to life