OUGD503 - Responsive - YCN: UK Greetings - Further Research & Concept / Rationale

British Biscuits

Every year the average British household consumes 103 packets of biscuits.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that the popular emergence of afternoon tea that Britain began to regard biscuits as something to accompany tea. This is a uniquely British notion that was quickly exported around the globe, establishing the stereotype of Britain as a nation of biscuit-lovers and tea-dunkers.

While biscuits were originally made for soldiers and sailors from a simple flour and water mix as means of preserving carbohydrates, biscuits today have far transcended their original purpose, 

resulting in a range of Biscuits considered quintessentially British. 

The interest the British place in Biscuits can undoubtedly be represented by the mass following of BBC programme ‘The Great British Bake-off,’ for which this years final received 14.8 million viewers, making it the most watched programme of the year so far (2016).

Biscuits, alongside Jam and Tea, will be at the heart of Britain’s Brexit trade negotiations.

The Favourites

Custard Creams, Bourbons, Digestives, Jammy Dodgers, Nice Biscuits, Rich Tea, Malted Milks 

and Pink Wafers.

Concept

To take a selection of Britain’s most loved classic biscuits and transform them in to greeting motifs through alteration of the original biscuit design. These biscuits are ingrained in Britain’s culture and social consciousness, meaning their familiarity to consumers will allow for the collection to appeal to the Nation.

Rationale 

In the wake of Brexit and its ongoing supply of discomfort, Britain is in need of some positivity and a reminder of what we have in common - not our differences. The British biscuit provides a relevant set of visual motifs that both reinforce and establish the notion of quintessential British custom(s) and their un-wavering social presence. Both the sending/displaying of greeting cards and the consumption

/notion of British biscuits come together to successfully and indefinitely reflect British society. Using these as the foundation to form and create a collection/range of greeting material/stationary I hope to capture the traditionalist notions of the UK public to engage and connect with them emotionally and visually.