Morrisons
Over the coronavirus lockdowns, I took up yoga, sewed at least four pairs of pyjamas, and clocked up several thousand kilometres of walks.
And thanks to the glorious folks at Charlie Smith Design, I also worked on the tone of voice for Morrisons, the UK’s fourth biggest supermarket chain. Here are the details.
There were a few different levels to my work with Justine and the team at Morrisons on their new brand guidelines. The first was about how they expressed their identity. They were keen to put together something everyone could understand and use, so instead of a proposition for the brand pyramid, we agreed on a ‘What makes us Morrisons?’ section. It includes clear statements on what sets them apart, what they care about, and why all that’s important to customers.
‘We support British growers and makers. We create jobs. We campaign for local causes. We work together. And we act and speak in a way that’s true to Morrisons. There’s nothing more British than that.’
‘Who we are’, Morrisons’ Attitude & Approach
The second bit – the biggest, juiciest, most delicious bit – was the brand voice. Developed in close collaboration with Property Director, Justine Manley, and with respect to everything the team needed from their tone of voice guidelines, it’s packed to the rafters with detailed instructions and examples absolutely everyone can follow. And it’s not about how Morrisons should sound. Instead, it’s about the impression they want to make on their customers.
The new Morrisons tone is incredibly clear, punchy, and unapologetic, stripped back to sharp, energetic sentences and direct phrases.
It uses the words and phrases their customers use – ‘afters’, ‘throw in’, ‘the lot’, ‘telly’, ‘fiver’ for a warm, conversational feel, and instead of lapsing into robot-speak for more formal comms, it stays human: ‘other offers don’t apply’, ‘we’re looking for a brilliant Team Leader’, ‘Need some help?’. But it’s enticing too, when it comes to food. Morrisons are foodmakers – it’s who they are, and what they do – and their new tone shouts their love of food from the rooftops. It’s ‘fresh’, ‘irresistibly dippable’, ‘crispy’, ‘cheesy’, ‘juicy’, and ‘sweet’. Yum.
‘Pick up a prime cut from our skilled butchers and serve with chunky, handcut chips and creamy peppercorn sauce. At less than a fiver per person, steak night’s never been easier on the pocket.’
Examples from ‘How we talk’, Morrisons’ Attitude & Approach
And what about the guidelines? I stuffed them with examples and wrote all the directions, including the design pointers, in the new Morrisons voice. That way, everything Morrisons’ designers and writers read reminds them how the copy’s supposed to sound — and it's miles more fun than reams of stuffy rules in the passive voice. Less 'copy should' and 'the logo must not' and more 'try this, here's why.'
I’ve only scratched the surface of all the attributes and in-depth examples – and I’ve not even mentioned the whole chunk that defines the brand's sense of humour – but you haven't got all day, and the nitty gritty details are for Morrisons’ eyes only. For more on the brief and (brilliant) visual direction, take a look at Charlie Smith Design’s beautiful case study.