Pret has come a long way since opening its first shop in London in 1986. By the 2010s, the café chain had become the to go-to source of expenditure for harried and hungry office workers, spawning what seemed to be a Pret on every corner of central London.

Despite a challenging time during the pandemic when city life effectively ground to a halt, the brand has emerged out the other side, with plans to switch up its strategy from “following the skyscraper” to expanding into new markets. In recent months, it has opened shops in Essex, Twickenham and Harrogate, and is also taking on local and international franchise partners, starting with Ireland, Canada and the Middle East.

The business has also been investing in its digital capabilities of late, having already launched the Pret Coffee Subscription and the Pret app, along with piloting its Pret Perks loyalty scheme and expanding its delivery services.

Amid its change of strategy, Pret has unveiled a new brand purpose and visual identity, underpinned by its new tagline, ‘Pret. Makes every day’. The tagline’s dual meaning aims to emphasis the brand’s fresh food credentials, while also nodding to the role it plays in its customer’s daily routines.

Created in collaboration with JKR – the agency behind major rebrands for Burger King and M&M’s, among other businesses – Pret’s new branding aims to be more “accessible, uplifting and welcoming”, according to the business.

While the Pret logo remains largely unchanged, new elements include more playful brand photography and a bright pink hue that sits alongside the brand’s existing burgundy colour. The new identity will roll out across global markets in the coming months, along with digital assets, packaging, products, uniforms and in shops.

“Our new brand identity … is freshly-made for the digital age, while also being deeply rooted in Pret’s legacy,” says Pret A Manger global brand and comms director, Jane Walker.

“Our business has gone through huge changes over the past two years, and we recognised the need to bake our new identity into every asset, interaction and touchpoint.”

jkrglobal.com