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Original poster

To think the packaging on Asdas new essential range is actually quite nice?

80 replies

sweeneytoddsrazor · 09/08/2022 05:33

So it seems Asda is under fire accused of poverty marking. This is because its new range of essentials is in bright yellow packaging.
Personally I like it, I think it looks fairly bright and cheerful and would quite happily buy a lot but not all of the items.

OP posts:
Beachsidesunset · 09/08/2022 08:21

Who remembers Kwik Save's black and white stencilled budget range? Feeling old now ...

dehloh · 09/08/2022 08:23

overitall1 · 09/08/2022 06:15

I'm curious as to how much this rebranding cost and why they did it? Genuinely curious about what Asda gain?

Rebranding isn't new though. Before it was Smart Price it was something else. So many brands have rebranded this year, it's not at all out of the ordinary.

Georgeskitchen · 09/08/2022 08:24

Who remembers the Kwik save no frills brand? It was bloody awful!!

dehloh · 09/08/2022 08:28

Rockbird · 09/08/2022 07:54

Tesco did change their stripey products claiming the same issue.

It took them 20 years so perhaps the 'this doesn't stand out' was a marketing tactic rather then a genuine complaint solution.

LookItsMeAgain · 09/08/2022 08:31

We had yellow packaged items back in the 1980's in a supermarket in Ireland called Quinsworth.

Nothing wrong with the products being sold there.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 09/08/2022 08:40

I grew up on yellow pack food - never felt stigmatised. We're still using up the free yellow pack copybooks they used to give with your shopping in August.

To think the packaging on Asdas new essential range is actually quite nice?
cawfeee · 09/08/2022 08:47

Wouldn't describe it as quite nice , just functional and looks cheap.
I'm not sure if there is as much stigma around buying cheap, as there was when I was growing up. I mostly shop at Aldi now, but can distinctly remember feeling embarrassed at my mum doing it as a teenager.
Same with cheaper clothing stores, the likes of Primark would have been social death to me a kid, but people proudly declare their Primark outfits these days.

AlexandriasWindmill · 09/08/2022 08:52

This is a nonsense story. When you're on a tight budget, it helps if you can identify the budget ranges easily.

MistressoftheDarkSide · 09/08/2022 08:56

I may be talking out of my arse, but isn’t yellow one of the colours that stimulates appetite according to marketing psychology?

I thought that was why Macdonalds and Burger King used red and yellow in their branding?

The blue and white striped stuff in was it Tescos? That always made me think of cleaning products or hospitals, and green things make me think of veggie options….

That said yellow combined with black is often used for toxicity - and nuclear radiation….. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I do find the psychology of marketing quite fascinating…..

Bubblebubblebah · 09/08/2022 08:58

It was probably one tweet on twitter with 3 likes and 1 retweet later by the original profile.

It's a nice packaging, I buy the range sometimes as well it's no poverty marking

Hankunamatata · 09/08/2022 09:01

So much better than white with green writing. Makes it easier to find.

dehloh · 09/08/2022 09:07

Hankunamatata · 09/08/2022 09:01

So much better than white with green writing. Makes it easier to find.

It hasn't been that for years.

MrsRobinsonsHandprints · 09/08/2022 09:28

alspwm · 09/08/2022 07:09

I'm not poor, we're not in poverty but we are trying to cut back our spending and I love this stuff! Super easy to spot 😁

I think this is who they are aiming at. Much like private schools do a roaring trade in second hand clothes whereas those that need to buy second hand stretch the money to buy new

JustJustWhy · 09/08/2022 09:31

You can only be 'shamed' if you care what other people think of you...and that's an exhausting way to live!

LookItsMeAgain · 09/08/2022 09:39

TheYearOfSmallThings · 09/08/2022 08:40

I grew up on yellow pack food - never felt stigmatised. We're still using up the free yellow pack copybooks they used to give with your shopping in August.

How did you find that image there TheYearOfSmallThings? That is a real blast from the past actually seeing the Yellow Pack image.

I remember the adverts with Maurice Pratt on RTE...brings back memories!

dehloh · 09/08/2022 09:45

JustJustWhy · 09/08/2022 09:31

You can only be 'shamed' if you care what other people think of you...and that's an exhausting way to live!

Is is indeed exhausting, it's not something people choose though.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 09/08/2022 10:54

I remember the adverts with Maurice Pratt on RTE...brings back memories!

Enjoy this image of Maurice in his prime, and Big Jim from UTV.

To think the packaging on Asdas new essential range is actually quite nice?
miltonj · 09/08/2022 11:42

Who is accusing them of this?

Unlikely to be 'poor' people.
Likely to be people who've never experienced poverty, looking to appear the most right on and virtuous.
This culture of finding everything problematic is rarely from minority or oppressed groups and nearly always from attention seekers on Twitter and the likes!

Bootothegoose · 09/08/2022 14:03

It’s fine.

I get why they’ve done it it’s a ‘range’.

people will complain about anything. Don’t want to buy it, don’t buy it. Want to buy it, then get on with it and stop finding something to be offended by.

I bought a few of their yellow bits without even clicking on it was the value range. They were nice little ready meals I just thought they were new in!

SarahSissions · 09/08/2022 15:28

I thought it looked quite smart. My only thing was how they fit away with the name given Waitrose already refer to their good range as essentials.

BlackbirdsSinging · 09/08/2022 15:31

I proudly buy the basic ranges in supermarkets.
I always think people who buy branded products are crazy - the basic ranges are excellent and a fraction of the cost.

speakout · 09/08/2022 15:39

BlackbirdsSinging · 09/08/2022 15:31

I proudly buy the basic ranges in supermarkets.
I always think people who buy branded products are crazy - the basic ranges are excellent and a fraction of the cost.

I agree- my family don't notice the difference when they eat value ketchup or beans. There is a lot of snobbery about value brands.
Why spend more money than you need to on food?

liveforsummer · 09/08/2022 15:42

Yes I liked it. Dc are away this week so I picked up a couple of cheap ready meals and thought it far better and less budget looking than the old smart price packaging. Couldn't care less what anyone thought though tbf. If I did I'd probably feel more worried about being judged by the middle class mums I'd bump in to in Asda for having ready meals than the fact it was a budget range. Being frugal is cool with the hipster types round here, in fact I'm more likely to bump in to them in Aldi

latetothefisting · 09/08/2022 16:11

Surely most people don't care if the stranger standing in front of them judges their shopping for a few seconds? I often have a trolley load of mainly unhealthy stuff and yellow reduced labels, because I either grow my own fresh fruit and veg or get it/meat from a local greengrocers/butchers, but I couldn't care less if randoms made the assumption I only ate crap, or was struggling for money!

Agree its probably one or two middle class people who wouldn't even buy the new range anyway making a comment on twitter, the media has pounced on it and made a huge deal, asda are rubbing their hands in glee at the free advertising (or even got an undercover staff member to make the initial judgey comments themselves!) and everyone else is thinking "oh might check out that range if I go to asda at some point!"

dehloh · 09/08/2022 16:20

I proudly buy the basic ranges in supermarkets.
I always think people who buy branded products are crazy - the basic ranges are excellent and a fraction of the cost.

You think people are crazy because they make different choices to you?

I agree- my family don't notice the difference when they eat value ketchup or beans. There is a lot of snobbery about value brands.

There is definitely a difference between value beans and branded beans. Your family may not notice it, but I prefer the branded.

Why spend more money than you need to on food?

Because it's ok to make choices. I spend more then I have to because I prefer branded beans to value beans. I spend more then I have to because value bread is horrid in comparison to a nice loaf. I spend more then I have to because branded ice cream tastes nicer than value ice cream.

I don't care if people choose branded, own range or value. What I do care about is being judged for my choices not being the same as others.