BRAND PROMOTION
KITKAT
Designing a High-Impact POSM Experience for KitKat
CHALLENGE
KitKat was gearing up to launch a new chocolate variant with richer taste notes and wanted strong in-store visibility to drive impulse purchases. The brand needed a POSM system that not only highlighted the product USP (“Rich, Delicious Break”) but also created emotional engagement at the retail shelf. The challenge was to make KitKat stand out in highly cluttered modern trade environments, increase dwell time, and improve off-take during the promotion period.
OUR APPROACH
Our focus was to transform the POS display from a simple stocking unit into a branded sensory experience:
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Immersive Visual Identity: Bold red and gold cues instantly signaled indulgence and premium flavour.
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Hero Messaging: “Have a Rich, Delicious Break” was placed across key touchpoints for high recall from every viewing angle.
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Iconic Brand Assets: Appetite-triggering product shots, layered chocolate visuals, and lifestyle imagery created emotional pull.
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Optimized Structure: A multi-shelf layout with clear SKU grouping and ideal height ensured visibility and easy navigation.
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Stop-Factor Innovation: A Jenga style display made from KitKat fingers transformed the unit into a playful, interactive experience encouraging shoppers to linger and engage with the brand.
Repositioning Garnier: Bridging Perception Gap with Strategic
Brand Touchpoints
CHALLENGE
Garnier faced a significant perception gap—despite offering premium-quality products with real benefits, consumers largely viewed it as a budget brand. The common notion that affordability equates to lower quality overshadowed the truth: Garnier’s formulations were high-grade, offered at accessible prices.The challenge was to shift this perception and establish a premium-quality image. A key brand touchpoint identified was POS (point-of-sale) materials, alongside the strategic move to reposition Garnier from grocery shelves to curated beauty and cosmetic stores.
OUR APPROACH
Design Horse addressed Garnier’s perception challenge by crafting POS materials rooted in product USPs—pill shapes evoking science, lime slices symbolizing Vitamin C, and bold yellow colour palette. This strategic visual language helped reposition the brand, emphasizing premium quality through design-led touchpoints at the point of sale. While developing POSM solutions, Design Horse carefully aligned with the specifications outlined in “Garnier’s 11 Golden Rules.”
For KitKat, point-of-sale materials are more than displays, they’re storytellers. They bring the irresistible world of chocolate indulgence right to the shelf, capturing attention, igniting craving, and converting impulse into purchase. At the moment of decision, they don’t just show a product, they deliver the promise of a rich, delicious break and make shoppers feel it before they taste it.
The product’s USPs (rich flavour + indulgent experience) were expressed through layered chocolate blocks signifying richness and smooth textures conveying indulgence reinforcing KitKat’s new premium taste story. The Jenga style display transformed this visual language into an interactive experience, encouraging shoppers to engage playfully with the unit and deepen their connection with the brand.
"When designed strategically, POS materials do more than inform, they inspire. They carry the brand’s promise to the shelf, ensuring that every glance reinforces recognition, trust, and desire in the heart of the consumer."
IMPACT:
The POSM activation transformed KitKat’s shelf presence
into a premium brand moment, driving both brand recall and
sales conversion. The design not only drove strong in-store performance but also evolved into a modular POSM blueprint scalable across retail formats including hypermarkets, supermarkets, and standalone kiosks.