Supermarkets Revisited

I was thinking last night about the sustainability issue(s) surrounding supermarket carrier bags and reminded myself about all of the 'bag for life' carriers that were being produced and sold in stores these days. I was compelled to go and get some...

With this one from Asda I wasn't at all surprised. Not in the slightest. The bag itself was green, the type was green and there were even two green love hearts toward the bottom of the composition. It definitely ticked all the right boxes for a 'greener future'. I had to laugh though, it's still plastic at the end of the day; there's just a lot more of it!

From a typographical aspect however, the bag contrasts to the common Asda carrier through the use of a serifed font which is presented in near enough all lower case. This definitely connotes a more 'homely' and endearing feel. A success on some level I guess?


In opposition, I was pleasantly greeted by this carrier upon making a trip to Marks and Spencer. Although it is made of a similar plastic substance, the graphic composition is definitely more interesting to the eye of a graphic designer. The range of corporate identity designs have a strong aesthetic appeal to me personally and are aimed to celebrate 125 years of the stores existence. I think I have a soft spot for this particular bag though as the logos also give a nostalgic feel. I'm not sure if they were all commissioned recently or represent the growth of Marks and Spencer over the years?

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