Founded in the late 1960s, Ginsters is well-known among British snackers. But by 2022, it had a perception problem. Despite widespread recognition, the savoury pasty brand was struggling to attract new customers.<\/p>\n
For many, the name evoked hangovers, service stations and \u201cemergency food\u201d, rather than quality or taste. A dissonance between the product and how it was perceived became a commercial barrier.<\/p>\n
\u201cGinsters was highly salient,\u201d says marketing director Sarah Babb, \u201cbut it didn\u2019t stand for much in the minds of new consumers.\u201d Research revealed deep-rooted associations with poor quality, shaped not by the food itself, but by legacy distribution channels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reality of our quality was just not understood,\u201d Babb explains. \u201cWe needed to tell the nation the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
To address this, Ginsters invested in a full identity overhaul, carried out by London agency Bloom<\/a>, in a bid to put taste, provenance and personality front and centre.<\/p>\n Ginsters\u2019 brief to Bloom was to challenge misconceptions and reposition the brand for modern consumers, without alienating its loyal base. The identity overhaul, launched in 2023, combined design refinement with a clearer, more confident brand voice.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting the logo barely changed at all \u2013 just some slight tweaks to the lettering of the wordmark, and the addition of \u201cEst 1967\u201d to underline that Ginsters had pedigree.<\/p>\n The before and after of the Ginsters logo<\/p>\n The most visible change came through the brand\u2019s use of illustration. As a Cornish brand, famous for its Cornish pasty, it wanted to lean into its local roots in a new way.<\/p>\n The previous rural scene \u2013 described by Bloom as dark and pastoral \u2013 was replaced with a contemporary, layered composition depicting Cornish landmarks and local character.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to shift from historical caricature to a living, breathing Cornish world,\u201d says Ishbel Lohman, strategy director at Bloom.<\/p>\n To maintain credibility, the creative team grounded the new illustration system in Ginsters\u2019 archives, referencing everything from vintage slogans to delivery vans and local farming scenes. \u201cWe saw illustration as a way to convey provenance, taste, and personality without relying on nostalgic tropes,\u201d Lohman explains.<\/p>\n The before and after Ginsters illustrations<\/p>\n Food photography, updated typography and a conversational tone of voice rounded out the system. Crucially, the new design aimed to elevate the brand without losing approachability.<\/p>\n \u201cThe risk was going too playful and undermining product credibility,\u201d Lohman says. \u201cWe worked to balance joy with trust.\u201d<\/p>\n Since the relaunch, Ginsters has reported a significant uptick in both sales and brand health. In 2024, it was named one of Britain\u2019s fastest-growing grocery brands<\/a>, with sales up 14.9% year-on-year to \u00a3133.5 million. Volume sales rose by 51% in the months following the rebrand, with the brand now holding a 50% share of the UK\u2019s pasties and slices marke<\/a>t.<\/p>\n The new Ginsters packaging by Bloom<\/p>\n A national campaign titled Taste the Effort, developed in parallel with the new identity, reached 93% of UK adults<\/a> and helped recruit over half a million new households (Samworth Brothers Annual Review 2023\u201324, p14). \u201cWe\u2019ve seen measurable uplift in associations like \u2018uses the best quality ingredients\u2019 and \u2018tastier than other brands\u2019,\u201d says Babb. \u201cThose were key objectives from the outset.\u201d<\/p>\n Internally, the brand tracks equity measures in partnership with Kantar, alongside sales and penetration. \u201cStrong brands are grown over years, not months,\u201d Babb adds. \u201cBut we did measure increases in penetration as well as market share and brand sales growth to understand the impact in the more immediate term.\u201d<\/p>\n The rebrand also laid the foundation for Ginsters to diversify its portfolio and reach new audiences. With a refreshed identity, the brand was in a better position to innovate beyond its core range.<\/p>\n In 2023, the brand introduced a new Pockets range<\/a> of handheld pastries, targeting younger shoppers and food-to-go occasions (Bakeryinfo). Shortly after, it launched a limited-edition Heinz Beanz & Cheese slice<\/a>\u00a0and partnered with Walkers to create a flaming hot sausage<\/a> roll sold exclusively on TikTok Shop, which sold out in under eight hours.<\/p>\n The new Ginsters visual identity by Bloom<\/p>\n The new launches reflect a more confident, and at times playful personality, designed to attract younger audiences while maintaining trust. \u201cWe\u2019re speaking to younger shoppers in new ways,\u201d says Babb. \u201cThe brand now has a revitalised personality that feels genuine and fun.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s also clear that the refreshed tone of voice and illustrative assets have also improved consistency across touchpoints, from packaging and ads to social and retail displays.<\/p>\n The rebrand has also drawn recognition from peers and press. Samworth Brothers\u2019 insight team won an AURA ROI Award<\/a> for the research that informed the brand strategy, and the identity work has been featured in trade and design titles including Convenience Stor<\/em>e and Food & Drink International<\/em>.<\/p>\n For Bloom, the project has helped consolidate its position in FMCG branding, particularly in modernising legacy brands without erasing their equity, such as Robinsons Squash and Diageo\u2019s single malt whisky portfolio.<\/p>\n The new Ginsters visual identity by Bloom<\/p>\n \u201cGinsters shows what happens when you respect the past but aren\u2019t afraid to move things on,\u201d says Lohman.<\/p>\n While the brand\u2019s new identity is already delivering results, the work isn\u2019t done, according to Babb. \u201cWhen we started, the only distinctive brand asset we truly held was the logo. Now we have a full suite. The goal is to keep building that memory structure and consistency over time.\u201d<\/p>\n Ginsters\u2019 transformation offers a clear lesson for other heritage brands: meaningful change doesn\u2019t require erasure. \u201cIt should be an evolution of a story, not a revolution,\u201d says Babb.<\/p>\n The rebrand succeeded by tackling perception barriers head-on through design, messaging, and consistent execution. In doing so, Ginsters has not only grown its market share but built the foundations for a stronger, more culturally relevant brand.<\/p>\n As the Ginsters team put it, the pasty is back \u2013 and it\u2019s got something to say.<\/p>\n The new Ginsters illustration by Bloom<\/p>\nRepositioning a British staple<\/h5>\n
Commercial results<\/h5>\n
Expanding reach and deepening relevance<\/h5>\n
External recognition and industry impact<\/h5>\n
Lessons in legacy<\/h5>\n