M&S School Uniform
To reinvent Marks and Spencer school uniform, by creating innovative packaging developments, in store digital visuals to educate children, creating an platform on their current app that allows children to be educated about sustainability through the use of sustainable superhero characters.
Service
Sustainable Development, Rebranding
Client
M&S
Year
2022
Concept
Sustainability has become a key part of the business at Marks and Spencer, setting key goals and reaching mile stones. The initial Plan A goals were set back in 2007, when the brand knew it was time to turn around and face the climate situation, that has rapidly grown over the years since the first plan was put in place. Some of the milestones and goals the brand has reached so far are zero waste going to landfill, striving for carbon neutrality, committing to transparency and making 87% of packaging easily recyclable.
Improving packaging and making it more sustainable is one of the goals that I believe I could take further and help it reach 100% recyclable or even plantable.
The concept for this project is re-designing the school uniform packaging at M&S to make it more sustainable and also educate children and parents. Making the overall experience of buying and wearing school uniform more educational about sustainability and the climate issues our planet is facing.
Currently, M&S school uniform packaging still has some plastic around the clothing, especially on multi-buy items. Wanting to take the step and make all packaging 100% plastic free. The brand already has a system in place where the hangers that are used in store are recycled, therefore the main focus will be on the packaging that the consumer will be taking away from the store and home with them.
App Content
This concept is also designed to be educational for children, with a new feature being added to the M&S Sparks app. This will be linked to in-store QR code and QR codes that will be on the labels for the clothing.
The app content will feature a set of sustainable superheroes. The superheroes all represent a different are of the planet that need to be protected. Using colourful characters and stories to help children interact with sustainability and learn about ways that they can get involved.
Each character has their own unique story and feature on the app, for example the Protector of Life on Land. This story shows a step by step guide of how the children can take their school uniform tags and plant them so that flowers grow.
Video showing app mock up and story idea.
Sustainable Superheroes
Protector of Life Below Water - How to Recycle; teaching children the importance of recycling, how to recycle properly and how materials are recycled. Showing children ways they can recycle and repurpose items they already have.
Collector of Clean Energy - How to Save Electricity; educating children on ways in which they can save electricity and how much energy this would save. Learning why it is good to save energy and the importance of renewable energy sources, such as, solar panels and wind turbines.
Protector of Life On Land - How to Plant the Biodegradable Uniform Tags; making learning about sustianability interactive teaching children how to plant their school uniform tags.
Packaging Redesign
Redesigning the M&S school uniform tags to eliminate the use of plastic within packaging, eliminate plastic waste and make it more sustainable. In alignment with the UK Governments targets to "...work towards all plastic packaging placed on the market being recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025."
Switching the current packaging to biodegradable, eco seed paper allows M&S to stick to these target. As well as moving forwards with their own brand development and targets.
Using a biodegradable product for the packaging removes the recycling element once the packaging has been used, therefore less energy is being used in the overall process of creating the packaging.
Sustainably sourced school uniform is what sets M&S apart from other competitors on the market, using responsibly sourced cotton and other innovative materials.
As this is such a large campaign, a new logo was designed to add to the packaging. This is to make it more recognisable that the uniform is sustainably sourced. Making the consumers, who will be the parents/guardians of the children, more aware that the product is a more sustainable option than other competitors.
The logo represents circularity, sustainable sourcing and wearability.
Plant me! This tag is to advertise and promote the sustainable superheroes on the M&S app. The QR code is to make it easy for the consumer to download and use the app. The plant me logo, indicates for the consumer to plant the tag. Giving a way for the parents to educate their children about sustainability using the app and the superheroes to help. The superheroes making it an exciting a fun process.
One of the biggest uses of plastic currently for M&S school uniform is the multi-packs. For example, the school shirts still come plastic packaging, that is not recyclable. Therefore, the redesign of this packaging will be completely plastic free and will be in the style of a wrap around paper sleeve. The ink for the packaging will be eco-friendly and biodegradable, made with natural vegetable oils.
Printed label mock ups
Images from Pinterest
Instore Visual Redesign
Creating an engaging space that children and parents interact, promoting sustainability and eco awareness. Focusing on the use of lighting and technology. Using bright and colourful lighting to make the space feel welcoming and inviting, using an array of colours to get the children attention.
Using various shades of green to provoke the idea of sustainability. LED lighting around this area of the store will allow for quick changes of displays and mood with the use of coloured lighting, as well as being able to be run on reusable energy.
The use of digital displays gives M&S the freedom to change and swap the displays dependent on the season, with little waste being created. The overall reduction of paper and plastic signage around the store, helping M&S move forward with their sustainable goals and developments.
Having seating and viewing areas around screens encourages children to sit and pay attention while their parents are shopping. On these screens will be a range of visuals that link to the educational activities that are featured on the app.
Incorporating elements of green and nature into the displays, bringing the outside in.
For this project I collaborated with Will Turner, a Comic and Concept Art student at Leeds Art University to illustrate the Sustainable Superheroes. Credits to @wt_illustrations for the three superhero illustrations.