Abel and Cole

I came across this pamphlet the other day in an organic food shop and was really bowled over not only by the design of the pamphlet, but also by the thinking and the idea behind the service.

Keith Abel and Paul Cole started delivering potatoes from a basement in Catford back in 1988. A couple of years later they heard about organic growing and were inspired by the idea of fresh, healthy produce grown in a sustainable, responsible way.

So in 1993, Abel & Cole went organic and they haven’t looked back; Paul now works on organic wholesaling while Keith looks after the home delivery service. Abel & Cole are now based in Brixton and have a team of eight people putting the boxes together and eight drivers out on the road making deliveries. They say that they 'work hard to finish what the farmer started’ in every area of our business, from recycling paper and cardboard, to never air freighting produce, to using LPG vans.



As i saw it, this idea was one that was destined for good things. In our health conscious and seemingly organically obsessed world, this service would flourish very well, given the help of some good promotion and effective and well communicated branding. Whatever these guys were going to produce, there had to be a strong sense of purity, nature and an organic feel behing the visual material and their brand.

In short i think Laura Fearnside, (the designer) did a very good job. Firstly the use of colour that she employs, really reflects the earthy and natural feel that simply have to be communicated right from the the start. They colours aren't too bright or attention grabbing but just sit right together compliment each other and suggest an innocent but firm tone.

The logo is very well formed, as it sits naturally, unrestricted and symmetrically and doesn't feel as though it is forced or manufactured in any way, and i think that the simple line drawing of the tree echoes this and strengthens the brands essence. The use of the very organic, flowing and curvaceous typeface again only reiterates this sense of purity and helps keep all the design elements in harmony.



In the centre fold of the pamphlet is a very simple step by step guide, which takes you by the hand and walks you through the process of choosing you organic goods. This use of a basic flow diagram with the simple imagery and fun, but easy-to-understand language makes the process stress free and uncomplicated, leaving you feel that you are in safe, honest and reliable hands.

This goes to show that with a bit of attention to detail and awareness of the brands values, even a small little pamphlet can be transformed into a complete reflection of the products nature and position and at the same time, carry significance and prove to be an effective and informative device. I am sure a great deal of personal pleasure was put into this uniquely attractive little project.