While at Talking Tables, I worked on the development of Colin the Caterpillar and Percy Pig party boxes for M&S, creating packaging and partyware design for two of the retailer’s most loved character brands. The opportunity was to make themed celebrations easier, more joyful and more impulse-friendly, turning the purchase of a Colin or Percy cake into a fuller party experience customers could pick up in one go.

Working within both brand worlds, my team and I developed a range of party tableware and décor essentials, from plates, cups and napkins to balloons, bunting and tablecloths. I led the packaging execution for the boxes, ensuring the artwork stayed true to each character’s identity while bringing the energy, colour and excitement of a birthday table to the retail shelf. The design needed to communicate convenience quickly while still feeling playful, giftable and unmistakably M&S.

Across packaging, range development and retail execution, the project turned beloved character equity into a practical and celebratory customer experience. The final boxes helped make party planning feel easier from shelf to table, gaining placement in M&S stores across the UK from 2021.