Wickes Paint is relaunching this week with new packaging and fixture designs created by Reach.

The Bristol-based packaging communications company was appointed by Wickes in 2008 to "develop a visual strategy that created good quality perceptions and made ranges simple to shop". 

Wickes' flagship paint range and its accompanying fixture represents the first major rollout of the company's new packaging design.

To create the new look, Reach worked with decorators and serious DIYers from the outset to identify the barriers to purchasing Wickes paint and tested possible visual strategies that might help overcome them.

Reach said its research found that Wickes' target audience was far more design literate and savvy then it expected.

“The Reach consumer paint brainstorms challenged the very heart of our thinking. The learnings have not just been incorporated into our packaging but throughout our communications," said Louise Day, Wickes' category director.

Mark Rylands, creative director at Reach, added: "A more refined feel was achieved by stripping back the design to only key elements. The large swatch creates a window which focuses on the colour and flawless finish of the wall, while the use of inspirational household icons communicates the usage areas.

"For the fixture we created an entrance inspired by the arches of Carnaby street, which creates a change of pace for the consumer. The colour collection identity and dynamic navigation system all links back to the new Wickes arrow visual equity.

"The packaging and fixture communication have been designed as an integrated navigation system working as a powerful team, making Wickes paint very easy to shop in a category that is notoriously difficult."