Rebalancing the brand lens
M&S Food has long been associated with quality and precision, elevated sourcing, perfect presentation, and a famously glossy photographic style. But as the brand expanded its foodhalls internationally, it needed a visual identity that could resonate more broadly: less staged, more human.
I was part of the creative team tasked with redefining the art direction for this next chapter. Working with stylist Lesley Dilcock and photographer Emma Lee, we deliberately moved away from high-polish product shots to a looser, daylight-driven sensibility. The approach was built on natural textures, modest props, and generous compositions, a language that signalled honesty, craft, and accessibility without losing M&S’s reputation for refinement.
A key consideration was scale. Knowing these images would live large on foodhall walls, we shot with space and proportion in mind, ensuring nothing felt oversized or contrived. Even the messaging echoed this crafted casualness: hand-set type was printed, photographed, and repurposed, giving the communications a tactile, almost bookish intimacy.
A fresh appetite for authenticity
The new photography system shifted M&S Food from polished perfection to crafted casual, a subtle but powerful recalibration that aligned the brand with modern consumer expectations. Rolled out globally, the art direction brought warmth and relatability to foodhalls without compromising the brand’s premium positioning.
For me, the project underscored how art direction can change not just what people see, but how they feel. By rebalancing the emotional tone of the imagery, we created a visual language that invited customers into the brand rather than keeping them at a distance, an approach that continues to shape how M&S Food is experienced worldwide.
