Warburtons, the family-run bakery brand that has become Britain’s most chosen FMCG name, has taken a decisive step in redefining its visual identity. With more than 70 products spanning multiple categories, the challenge was clear: how to unify such a vast portfolio while ensuring the brand remains instantly recognisable in an increasingly crowded retail environment.  

Taxi Studio, the Bristol-based design agency, was tasked with creating a system that would not only strengthen Warburtons’ shelf presence but also celebrate its heritage. The solution is a cohesive pack architecture built around the brand’s most enduring symbol: the smile. Inspired by the curve of the wordmark, the smile becomes the central motif, anchoring the design and providing a sense of warmth and familiarity.  

Colour plays a vital role in the new identity. A bold use of Baked Orange dominates the packaging, ensuring visibility across formats and categories. This vibrant hue is not only distinctive but also deeply associated with Warburtons, making it a powerful tool for instant recognition. By applying it consistently, the brand achieves a striking presence that cuts through the clutter of supermarket shelves.  

Typography has also been carefully considered. A bespoke typeface, developed in collaboration with Studio Drama, provides a consistent visual voice across the portfolio. It balances modernity with approachability, ensuring that the brand feels contemporary while retaining its family-friendly character. The typeface works seamlessly with the smile motif, reinforcing the sense of unity across products.  

Adding to this system is a signature roundel, a design element that conveys heritage and warmth. It acts as a seal of authenticity, reminding consumers of Warburtons’ long-standing reputation for quality and trust. Together, these elements form a brand system that is both unified and highly impactful, capable of flexing across categories without losing coherence.  

For Warburtons, the redesign is more than cosmetic. It is a strategic move to safeguard its position as Britain’s most chosen FMCG brand, ensuring that its products remain instantly identifiable in a competitive marketplace. By blending heritage with bold modernity, Taxi Studio has delivered a system that not only strengthens shelf presence but also reinforces the emotional connection consumers have with the brand.  

In a sector where visibility and recognition are paramount, Warburtons’ smile now shines brighter than ever.

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Emami Ltd, one of India’s leading FMCG companies, has announced the acquisition of full ownership in Axiom Ayurveda, a move that underscores its ambition to expand into the burgeoning functional beverages market. The company has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the remaining 73.5 percent stake in Axiom Ayurveda for a consideration of up to ₹200 crore. This follows its initial investment in 2023, when Emami acquired a 26.5 percent minority stake in the business.  

The deal marks a significant milestone for Emami, which has traditionally been associated with personal care and healthcare products. By transitioning from a minority investor to full owner, the company signals its intent to diversify and capture growth opportunities in the wellness-driven beverage segment. Functional beverages, which include products infused with health benefits such as immunity boosting, digestive support, and energy enhancement, have seen rapid growth in India, driven by rising consumer awareness and demand for healthier alternatives to conventional soft drinks.  

Axiom Ayurveda, known for its herbal and ayurvedic formulations, has carved out a niche in this space with its range of natural drinks. Its flagship brand, AloFrut, has gained popularity among health-conscious consumers, offering fruit-based beverages enriched with aloe vera and other functional ingredients. Emami’s complete acquisition is expected to provide the scale, marketing muscle, and distribution reach needed to accelerate Axiom’s growth trajectory.  

Industry observers note that the deal reflects a broader trend of FMCG majors investing in wellness-oriented categories to stay relevant in a market increasingly shaped by lifestyle shifts. For Emami, the acquisition not only diversifies its portfolio but also aligns with its strategy to tap into high-potential adjacencies beyond its core personal care segment.  

The transaction, valued at up to ₹200 crore, is seen as a calculated bet on the future of functional beverages in India. With rising disposable incomes, urbanisation, and a growing preference for preventive healthcare, the category is expected to expand significantly in the coming years. Emami’s move positions it to capture this momentum, leveraging its established brand equity and distribution network to scale Axiom Ayurveda’s offerings nationwide.  

As the deal progresses towards closure, Emami’s entry into the functional beverages space is being viewed as a strategic pivot that could redefine its growth narrative, signalling a new chapter for the company in India’s evolving consumer landscape.

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Mars Petcare has launched a bold new global campaign for PEDIGREE Dentastix, designed to bring canine oral health into sharper focus and encourage preventative care among pet owners worldwide. Built around the striking line “Good Dogs Have Bad Mouth,” the campaign seeks to make an often-overlooked issue both visible and memorable.

Despite growing enthusiasm among pet parents for premium care—from specialised diets to spa-like treatments—oral hygiene remains neglected, with eight in ten dogs developing dental issues. The campaign addresses this gap by reframing the conversation, emphasising prevention as the simplest and most effective way to safeguard a dog’s overall health and wellbeing.

Developed with Colenso BBDO, the creative approach avoids clinical messaging and alarmist tones. Instead, it introduces a vivid, technicolour felt world that visualises the hidden reality inside a dog’s mouth. The imaginative setting, populated by fuzzy bacterial creatures, transforms an invisible problem into something tangible and difficult to ignore. In audiovisual executions, seemingly well-behaved dogs are humorously “exposed” by their unruly mouths, adding a layer of entertainment to the message.

Meg Jones, Global Strategy Lead at Colenso BBDO, noted that while pet owners are investing more than ever in their animals, dental health has slipped into the background. The campaign is rooted in the belief that greater awareness will prompt action, particularly if owners understand that even their “good dogs” may be harbouring unseen issues.

Kimberley Ragan, Group Creative Director, explained that the team deliberately moved away from sterile, science-heavy communication. By injecting humour and playful censorship cues into the “Bad Mouth” concept, the campaign aims to capture attention and make the subject approachable, even amusing.

Rather than presenting dental care as a burdensome task, the campaign positions Dentastix as a simple, daily habit—an easy addition to a routine that supports long-term health. This balance of functional benefit and emotional engagement reflects a broader shift in brand communication strategy.

Mariana Coronel, European Director for the PEDIGREE brand, highlighted the importance of combining education with entertainment to drive behavioural change. She emphasised the brand’s mission to make effective nutrition and care accessible, noting that oral health plays a crucial role in a dog’s overall wellbeing.

Conceived as a scalable global platform, “Good Dogs Have Bad Mouth” will roll out across out-of-home advertising, social media, digital channels and audiovisual formats, with further extensions planned as the campaign evolves.

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Fourteen years after founding Bastion Brands, Simon Davies is stepping away from the Australian business he built into one of the region’s most respected specialist health communications agencies, marking a significant leadership transition within Havas Group ANZ and signalling a new chapter shaped by continuity, innovation and global ambition.

Davies, who launched Bastion Brands in 2012, will formally step down at the end of June, citing a desire to spend time with family overseas before re-engaging with Havas Health projects in Europe. His departure follows a period of sustained growth and consolidation, including the agency’s acquisition by Havas in November 2022 and its subsequent integration into the global Havas Health Network.

In his place, Executive Director Dan King has been elevated to Managing Director, a move that underscores both stability and progression within the agency’s leadership ranks. King, who joined Bastion Brands in 2019, has been closely involved in shaping its recent trajectory, working across a portfolio of Australian and international clients on complex communications programmes spanning the medical, pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors.

The transition comes at a moment of notable strength for Bastion Brands. The agency recorded more than 17 per cent growth in 2025, contributing to what Havas Group ANZ has described as its most successful year on record. This performance coincided with the rollout of the group’s “Deliberately Different” positioning, a strategic direction that emphasises distinctive thinking, integrated capability and measurable outcomes.

Davies’ tenure has been defined by a clear commitment to bridging scientific rigour with compelling storytelling, a positioning that helped Bastion Brands secure partnerships with major healthcare and pharmaceutical clients including Danone, Sanofi, GSK and CSL. Under his leadership, the agency built a highly specialised team across Melbourne and Sydney, capable of navigating the complexities of regulated industries while delivering work that resonates with both professional and consumer audiences.

Reflecting on his departure, Davies described the timing as both deliberate and optimistic, pointing to the agency’s strong performance and successful integration into the Havas ecosystem. He emphasised the importance of trust and collaboration in building the business, acknowledging both clients and internal teams as central to its success. His confidence in King’s leadership was unequivocal, noting his deep understanding of the agency’s clients, culture and craft.

For Havas Group ANZ, the transition represents not just a change in leadership but a continuation of a broader strategic vision. Chief Executive James Wright highlighted Davies’ enduring legacy, describing Bastion Brands as a rare blend of scientific expertise and creative excellence. At the same time, he positioned King’s promotion as a natural progression, emphasising his role in driving growth and ensuring continuity during a period of change.

King now assumes responsibility for leading Bastion Brands’ operations across Melbourne and Sydney, with a mandate to sustain momentum while pushing the agency into new territory. His vision centres on strengthening specialist capabilities, deepening collaboration across the Havas network and embracing emerging technologies, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence and data-driven decision-making.

In articulating his priorities, King reaffirmed the agency’s core proposition: connecting science with human insight to create communications that inspire action. However, he also signalled a more pronounced focus on innovation, outlining plans to invest in AI-enabled tools and data fluency across teams. Within the Havas ecosystem, this includes applying responsible, privacy-safe AI to areas such as insight mining, medical content workflows and performance optimisation—an approach that reflects wider industry shifts towards intelligent automation and evidence-based strategy.

The emphasis on AI is particularly notable in the context of healthcare communications, where accuracy, compliance and ethical considerations remain paramount. By integrating advanced technologies with specialist expertise, Bastion Brands aims to help clients navigate increasingly complex environments, from regulatory landscapes to evolving patient expectations.

Despite the forward-looking agenda, the transition has been carefully structured to ensure stability. Davies and King will work closely over the coming months, maintaining continuity for clients and teams while gradually transferring responsibilities. This collaborative handover is designed to preserve the agency’s culture and client relationships, both of which have been central to its growth.

Looking ahead, the leadership shift also reflects the increasing importance of global connectivity within the Havas network. Bastion Brands’ role as a partner in delivering regional and international work positions it as a key player in the group’s broader health communications strategy. Davies’ planned involvement in European projects further reinforces this interconnected approach, suggesting that his influence within the network will continue, albeit in a different capacity.

As the agency enters its next phase, the balance between continuity and change will be closely watched. The foundations laid over the past fourteen years—scientific credibility, creative ambition and strong client partnerships—provide a solid platform. At the same time, the evolving demands of the healthcare sector, coupled with rapid technological advancements, present both challenges and opportunities.

For Bastion Brands, the leadership transition is less about reinvention and more about evolution. With Dan King at the helm and the backing of Havas Group ANZ, the agency appears poised to build on its legacy while adapting to a future where data, technology and human insight converge more closely than ever before.

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