Woolworths has today launched a corporate rebranding including a new logo, representing the biggest change to the communication of their brand since the introduction of “The Fresh Food People” just over two decades ago.

The new logo, which resembles a peeling apple, is set to be added to over 100,000 staff shirts, 800 trucks, their trolleys and plastic bags and in their 780 supermarkets. It already appears at 30 stores, all of which have been recently opened or refurbished. The logo will also appear on their private label goods such as ‘Woolworths Select’.

Proclaiming the launch of the logo as “Australia’s new symbol for fresh food”, on both their weekly catalogue and website, Woolworths is confident the update will resonate with consumers.

The new branding was created by Hans Hulsbosch of the Hulsbosch Agency who recently updated the iconic Qantas kangaroo. The logo is designed to provide a connection to “The Fresh Food People” tagline. The image features include:

• A stylised ‘W’ for Woolworths (resembling a green apple being peeled) with the addition of an abstract leaf symbol representing fresh food
• It is reminiscent of one of the most famous Woolworths logos of the 1970s
• It represents a person – the top half with outstreched arms (look closely)

Woolworths General Manager of Marketing, Luke Dunkerley, has advised that the logo change is part of a host of changes designed to improve the ambience of the shopping experience. “The refurbishment of the supermarkets that is accompanying the rebranding will deliver customers wider aisles, brighter supermarkets and a more pleasant shopping experience,” he claimed.

The update, which will take at least six months, will see all Safeway supermarkets in Victoria adopt the Woolworths name.

Mr Dunkerley added that the company hopes the logo will soon be instantly associated with their famous ‘fresh food people’ slogan. “We believe it expresses, in its own graphic way, our commitment to fresh food in a way that the logo (it) superseded doesn’t,” he told Fairfax.

“As the world becomes a faster place and you need to get through to customers more quickly, having a symbol that represents your company has never been more important. It means we can speak to people [with] one device rather than spell out the whole word.”

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