Rebrand makes self-heating can sizzle on the outside

Design Futures has given a self-heating canned food product a complete rebrand, bringing it into the 21st century and making it more appealing to consumers.

The in-house design consultancy, based at Sheffield Hallam University, redesigned the product titles, strapline and logo while revamping the design of the HOTCAN brand of tinned food, which is produced by Heat Food & Drink.

The rebranded HOTCAN range.

“The old design was quite busy and we wanted to make sure the main message was as prominent as possible. We also wanted to create a sense of character and tone for the range that would appeal to the target audience,” said John Kirkby, Creative Director of Design Futures at Sheffield Hallam.

“The previous product titles were very straightforward, so we’ve used more informal titles wherever possible to demonstrate the fun element of the product. For the new logo we kept the wording bold and clear, adding a ‘degree’ symbol to the letter ‘C’ to highlight the self-heating element of the product along with the new strapline, ‘No microwave. No kettle. Just HOTCAN’.”

Design Futures realised that not all consumers will appreciate the bright new packaging. The HOTCAN is also used by the emergency services, Disaster Management Agency and the military, so the design team also produced camouflage versions of the products for uses where high visibility is a disadvantage.

The HOTCAN works using a self-contained heating mechanism that is activated by piercing the rim of the can with the provided key, setting off a completely safe exothermic reaction. It heats the contents of the can in 10-12 minutes, keeping it hot for up to 45 minutes.

Mark Taylor, Managing Director of Heat Food & Drink, said: “HOTCANs have been produced for over 30 years but in 2010 we took over the product, so it was certainly time to revisit the packaging. We were looking for a distinctive, timeless identity that would really stand out on the shelf and we knew instantly that Design Futures had hit the nail on the head when we saw the proposals.

“We’re really happy with the redesign - it gives the product a really new vibrant image. It’s been part of a complete revamp for the product, which has also included upgrading the heating mechanism, developing a new range of high-quality food, and we’ve even reduced prices to make the product more cost-effective for our customers.”