In a saturated market, illustration is no longer a luxury – it’s a strategic asset that can define a brand, build loyalty, and drive serious commercial impact, writes Toby Atkins
The FMCG landscape has never felt so competitive. More brands than ever are vying for people’s attention, while the tightening purse strings born of ongoing economic instability force every one of those brands to work harder to maintain loyal consumers and win over new ones.
Distinctive, visually arresting brand design can make or break a brand today.
But one incredibly powerful – and potentially highly lucrative – tool is still all too often overlooked: illustration.
Great illustration drives great business
Historically, it’s been a misunderstood tool – and a missed business opportunity.
But illustration isn’t about decoration – nor can we afford to see it merely as a nice-to-have.
In a sector where the fight for shelf space and consumer attention is fiercer than ever, illustration can be a business-critical strategic asset.
When used well, illustration doesn’t just support a brand – it defines it. And that can directly improve the bottom line.
In 2023, Ginsters unveiled a new brand built entirely around its illustration: the imagery shaped, enriched, and emotionally elevated its entire brand world – from storytelling and on-pack assets to the brand’s tone of voice – rooted in a distinctive playfulness intrinsically tied to its Cornish heritage.
Beyond all that good stuff, the new branding brought 500,000 new households to the brand – in just one quarter. As figures like that show, illustration sells.
Picturing personality
But why? When leveraged properly, illustration becomes a shorthand for a brand’s tone, personality, ethos – even its heritage. The cliché about a picture speaking a thousand words exists for a reason: with Ginsters, the handcrafted linocut-like style demonstrates authenticity and the hand of the maker. It evokes comfort and tradition, while simultaneously showcasing a brand unafraid to stand out.
It gave Ginsters a renewed, ownable voice – one that’s memorable and succinctly epitomises the brand’s essence.
FMCG brands today are under increasing pressure to not just sell, but stand for something. Consumers want to buy into brands that reflect their values and personality. While typography, colour, and photography are all vital components of a brand’s visual identity, illustration can go further: it invites consumers into a clearly delineated imaginative world that conveys exactly what a brand is about – and what it stands for.
Take Fortnum & Mason: its evocative illustrated animals are as central to the brand as its wordmark or monogram. Like those assets, the illustration style communicates volumes about Fortnum & Mason’s heritage, prestige, and premium positioning – but also hints at a beguiling eccentricity that the gold initials alone never could.
In short, illustration can communicate far more than any other single brand asset. It’s all about how it’s used.
Charismatic characters
Mascots and characters are making a comeback – and for good reason. When executed well, they offer a direct line of communication to the consumer, especially where warmth and nostalgia are key. Brands like Penguin use character design to tap into collective consumer memory structures.
Vegan food range La Vie has built a fanatically passionate following through its vibrant, slightly off-kilter character-led branding. The brand uses illustration to defy the norm of ‘serious’ plant-based ranges that focus on ethics, morals, or health – instead centring on a hilariously irreverent pig character that isn’t trying to be cute or even likeable. But he’s packed with personality, making him an irresistible draw in a category that’s become oversaturated, overpriced, and often rather dull.
As La Vie shows, illustration is more than just pictures – it’s a versatile, future-facing brand asset that can adapt and evolve across packaging, digital, social, merchandise, point of sale, and more.
That pig is instantly recognisable from a single well-placed trotter. Here, illustration goes beyond packaging – it differentiates the brand and breaks category norms, all while telling a unique story. Its charisma is infectious.
Illustration as authenticity
Historically, many FMCG brands have relied on photography as a key visual asset. But people have changed – and brands must evolve too. Thanks to smartphones and social media, visual literacy is now second nature across generations and demographics.
The accessibility and democratisation of photography mean we are constantly bombarded with photographic imagery – and we all understand how easily it can be manipulated. Consumers now intrinsically understand that the camera does, in fact, lie.
In contrast, illustration often feels more authentic: it bears the mark of the maker and feels more real, crafted, and human. Imperfections become strengths. The human touch of a drawn line can make a brand feel more personal and genuine – something photography often can’t replicate. Illustration invites a deeper level of emotional engagement.
Catching out copycats
Beavertown Brewery’s branding – built entirely on its illustrations – shows how powerful the medium can be when it invites interaction. Its intricately constructed, sci-fi-inspired line drawings demand attention – and their unique style reinvented what beer can design could be. Reinventing a category is a double-edged sword, however, and Beavertown’s pioneering look has since sparked a wave of imitators. But this is where illustration truly shines – it makes a brand much harder to copy convincingly.
Inch’s cider takes a very different illustrative approach – but one just as distinctive. Its bold red and green apples don’t just highlight the product ingredients; they also convey abstract ideas around provenance, taste, and freshness.
Many have tried to mimic the design (see Aldi’s uncanny take, Island’s), but the illustrative assets give Inch’s an identity that’s nearly impossible to replicate with the same authenticity or flair. Yes, they might just be apples – but they are unmistakably Inch’s.
A strategic tool
To CEOs, the business case for illustration is clear: it enhances memory structures, differentiates in saturated markets, and builds emotional engagement that drives both purchase and loyalty. It’s not just about visual flair – it’s about effectiveness. Illustration enables brand evolution without alienating loyal audiences. It modernises while preserving heritage. Draws in new demographics while remaining true to core values.
It also opens the door to nostalgia: Penguin’s central character, for instance, has evolved over the years to stay relevant, yet continues to trigger emotional memory – and ultimately, purchase.
FMCG brands need every advantage in today’s crowded, competitive market – and it’s time to recognise illustration’s unique value as a business driver. This isn’t about decoration: illustration is communication, storytelling, emotional engagement – a shorthand for a brand’s entire personality and purpose.
Illustration builds loyalty by creating memories. It’s often what makes consumers really care about your brand – now and into the future.
Toby Atkins is the Associate Creative Director of Illustration, at Bloom
