Branding: Unilever to overhaul Signal's look

The consumer goods company has tasked dCell, the brand identity and design arm of Lowe's India operation, with the global task, which covers North Africa, the Middle East and Turkey.

Sabyasachi Mishra, dCell's Mumbai-based vice-president and business head, said Unilever wanted to improve Signal's shelf presence and variant coding to ensure consumers recognise the brand and identify each variant in a modern retail environment.

"The (current) design is low on the pick-me-up appeal."

The design changes will be implemented across the entire range of Signal's oral care products, including five variants of toothpastes and toothbrushes.

"We are looking at a complete overhaul without losing out on Signal's essence and its legacy equities - those that have the potential to be carried forward."

He said Unilever's move to bolster Signal's visual image underlined a growing commitment by clients to seek design ideas that could be seamlessly replicated across several geographic markets.

"Today, most brands are harmonising at a global level - it's no longer about doing one odd market. They're looking for global designs."

The Signal brief is dCell's biggest global assignment to date. Mishra said the agency beat leading European design companies. Unilever has used dCell on other brands in its portfolio, including Clear, Lifebuoy and Good Morning soap brand, which is sold in Egypt.