Global creative agency Robot Food has partnered with UK pet care brand Pooch & Mutt to create a versatile and futureproofed identity, designed to span its extensive offering of expert-backed pet nutrition, services, supplements, and accessories.
The project involves a full strategic repositioning for the brand. This includes a core creative idea, visual and verbal identity, packaging design, and comprehensive brand world to shift Pooch & Mutt from its roots as a direct-to-consumer startup, to the definitive partner for every pet owner as the brand embarks on its next five years of growth.
A trusted companion
While Pooch & Mutt had seen phenomenal growth over the last few years as a functional dog food brand, it had effectively outgrown its own label. In a category where customers are increasingly overwhelmed by conflicting nutritional advice and ‘choice paralysis’, there was a clear opportunity to move from being just a product on a shelf, to a trusted companion that would guide owners towards the right choice for their pet.
“Pooch & Mutt had serious ambition. After some digging, it was clear this was more than a simple rebrand brief. They needed a complete shift in strategy to help them find their place in the category again.” Jess, Client Director at Robot Food, explains. “We helped guide them to think broader, escaping the ‘startup founder’s story trap’ to showcase their genuine expertise, taking them from a category challenger to a category leader.”
For all breeds & needs
Positioned as a partner in pet care, not a preacher, Pooch & Mutt gives pets what they genuinely need, because they genuinely care. The core creative idea ‘For all breeds & needs’ avoids the polarising ‘right and wrong’ language common in the category. Instead, it embraces the nuances of pet ownership and the endless changes that come with caring for a dog, highlighting how the brand can help customers navigate through the ups and downs.
Chloe Stacey, Creative Strategist at Robot Food, says: “There are lots of pet peeves in the world of pet care, and one of the biggest is being told there’s only one right answer – even though every brand seems to have a different opinion on what ‘right’ is. Pooch & Mutt isn’t here to preach one singular revelation; it empowers owners to find what’s right for them and their pet at that time, whilst knowing that can change again down the line.”
Giving Patch a pack
To create a brand customers buy into and one that can grow and evolve as the business does, the visual identity needed to shift from purely a graphic idea, to an all-encompassing brand idea that represented dogs of all shapes, sizes and lifestyles.
Reimaging Pooch & Mutt’s previous ‘Patch’ mascot, and creating ‘Penny Pooch’ as part of a whole pack of companions, the suite of new charming illustrations, created in house by Robot Food, now represent many different breeds in many different scenarios. Depicted in a loose, hand-drawn style, the family of dogs embody the name and bring out the brand’s playful side, balanced with the confident soft serif wordmark, finetuned by Dan Foster. While a primary colour palette of navy and cream adds a contemporary, premium feel, distancing the brand from clinical, veterinarian-style aesthetics.
The new packaging design creates a systematic branded approach that unites all products, with the base flexing to allow for individual range colours and illustrations to communicate flavour or product benefit. A system that’s vital as the brand continues to expand its product ranges and service offerings, including its cat range, Purr & Meow.
For all chapters & tails
The new tone of voice acts as an ‘emotional support animal’ – experienced, transparent, and empathetic. A refreshing change from the ‘guilt trip’ messaging often found in the premium pet space, the brand uses irreverent humour to celebrate the reality of pet ownership: the twists, turns, grime, and glory.
This authenticity carries into the wider brand world. Robot Food opted for an unfiltered, documentary-style direction for the photography over ‘pixel-perfect’ studio shots, balancing the cutesy charm of the illustrations with the imperfect reality of living with animals, muddy paws and all.
Hattie Deane, Creative Lead at Pooch & Mutt comments: “The rebrand marks an important evolution for us, as we move from being known as a functional dog food brand to becoming a trusted partner for pet owners at every stage of their dog’s life. ‘For all breeds & needs’ perfectly captures that ambition, and Robot Food has translated the positioning seamlessly into a design that feels confident, premium and easy for customers to navigate.”
Paul Dennison, CEO at Pooch & Mutt adds: “Early signs have been incredibly encouraging and we’re seeing strong engagement both online and in-store. The refreshed look and clearer positioning is already helping us reach a broader audience and making it easier for customers to understand how our ranges fit their dog’s needs. It’s a brand world that gives us the flexibility to grow into new categories and services while staying true to what Pooch & Mutt has always stood for.”
The new identity and packaging for Pooch & Mutt is now live in stores and online at poochandmutt.co.uk
Source: Robot Food
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