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Has the British brand ever been cooler?

Posted by: Engine Creative Agency Limited

Date added: Tue 15 May 2012

Engine Creative consider whether the British brand has ever been cooler.

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Great Britain is set for a big year in 2012 with both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the long awaited Olympic Games due to kick off on the 27th of July. The anticipation is building with the iconic Union Jack brand being splashed everywhere from cakes to branded apparel and it seems every retailer is keen to promote their British associated products.

Advertisers are exploiting this British surge as evident with Marks and Spencer’s latest “A Summer to Remember” campaign showing Gary Barlow and friends enjoying a party complete with, yes you guessed it, a beautifully British Union Jack cake and bunting.

As we blogged in 2009 the British brand has long had complex connotations ranging from far-right associations to 80’s football hooliganism however this time round it feels that bit different. Britishness is hot property right now with brands including Heinz, Cadbury’s, Waitrose and Marmite (or Ma’amite) producing special edition Diamond Jubilee packaging for some of their most iconic products and Starburst and Mr Kipling announcing campaigns based on both the Jubilee and the Olympic Games. Here at Engine Creative we have been working on designs for the forthcoming University of Northampton Graduate Fashion Show based on this year's appropriately titled theme "Making Britain Great."

Some argue that the market is becoming saturated with UJA (Union Jack Abuse) and that all things British are being used too heavily in a ploy to exploit the events, however here at Engine Creative we share the view that this British surge is generating optimism and increasing advertising spend which can only signal positive growth within the creative industry. If we can’t do it in 2012 then when can we?

So heres to the summer (when it finally arrives) and embracing all things British!

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