Following its acquisition by Yeo Valley Organic, Tideford Organics has rebranded with the help of Bristol-based agency The Space Creative.

The Space Creative has developed a distinctive and ownable visual identity for Tideford, setting it apart from Yeo Valley’s more traditional soup range. The outcome is a vibrant, refreshing design that elevates shelf presence and brings joy and culinary expertise in equal measure to a soup fixture of beige pots. The rustic, country kitchen aesthetic has been replaced with bright colours, a bold logo, and a charming illustration of Tideford’s newly created character, ‘Rudy the Foodie,’ playfully kissing each key ingredient.

The brand aims to appeal to a younger ‘Trailblazer’ audience who are seeking plant-based brands that deliver interesting and adventurous recipes, inspired by world cuisine. Tideford wants to make eating plants a pleasure not a chore, with delicious dishes curated by foodies for a lunch to look forward to.

The previous incarnation of Tideford blended in on fixture, its muted packaging design and rustic farm shop aesthetic lacked appropriate taste cues and was at odds with a brand offering interesting global flavours such as Caribbean Sweet Potato, Thai Green Vegetable, and Indian Lentil Dhal as exciting alternatives to classic soup staples like Chicken, Cream of Vegetable, Pea & Ham, and other non-vegan-friendly recipes.

“There are already several brands, as well as own label soups, playing into the cosy, comforting aspect of the soups category. We identified an opportunity to shake things up and offer something different.” says David Thomson, Creative Director at The Space Creative.

“Once we had settled on the brand proposition ‘The Joy of Adventurous plant-only food’ it became apparent that some sort of connoisseur character would help us to communicate the brand’s values in a fun and likeable way. This insight led to the creation of ‘Rudy the Foodie.”

Not only does Rudy feature on the packs, but he will play a big part in Tideford’s communications, delivering witty and engaging messages in his unique tone of voice, one which is well travelled and full of flamboyance.

“Rudy is a loveable character of indeterminate nationality on a lifelong and never-ending quest to discover the source of the very best organic plant-only ingredients. He talks to us about Tideford in his unique TOV and makes us smile. His role is to celebrate and enlighten us about the convenience and deliciousness of plant-based cuisine. He knows his onions. And his spinach, ginger, garlic, peppers…”

Susann Tandy, Senior Brand Manager at Yeo Valley says the new branding is a hit with retailers and new listings are in the pipeline.
“The Space Creative team immersed themselves in the brief and challenged us to push the boundaries within the category. I am very happy with the creative outcome and excited to see where we can take the new brand.”

Tideford has relaunched into Waitrose, Ocado and selected Tesco stores.