The Colin Franchise
Colin the Caterpillar is less a cake and more a self-contained franchise. For years, the M&S mascot has expanded from the original chocolate roll cake into a vast range of confectionery. There are Colin faces, Colin Mini Rolls, Colin-themed gift bags and even Colin ice cream lollies. A full-size tub seems like a logical next step.
This design proposes a White Chocolate Party Edition. The flavour profile—white chocolate ice cream with hundreds and thousands—is a classic birthday party combination, fitting squarely into the character’s established territory. The packaging follows the current M&S design language for its frozen desserts. It is a very convincing mockup.
The M&S Flip
What makes it an interesting concept is how it contrasts with other M&S product innovations that rely on a physical gimmick. Take the M&S ‘Flip Dip’ range. It is small. It currently consists of just two variants: a Red Pepper Cream Cheese Dip and a Basil Dip with Pesto Drizzle. The name is not a flavour. The name is an instruction.
Each dip comes with a separate pot of topping that the customer physically flips over into the main container. The branding is all about the format. This ‘flip’ mechanism is a common design feature, appearing on everything from a Gardman Flip Top Seed Feeder to a Stanley Iceflow Flip Straw water bottle and even the Clementoni Disney Baby Mickey Flip Phone. It describes an action. This proposed Colin tub does not. It is simply a new flavour.
A Flavour-Led Idea
So this concept sidesteps a format-based name in favour of a more direct, flavour-led approach. It’s not ‘Colin’s Fling-In Sprinkles’ or ‘Colin’s Tip-Top Topping’. It is simply a party edition of a character-branded ice cream.
It relies on the strength of the Colin brand and the appeal of white chocolate, rather than a novel way of serving it. For a product line that already commands such loyalty, that straightforward approach might be all that’s needed.
What the real range looks like
The only food products sold by Marks & Spencer using a similar interactive branding mechanic are its two ‘Flip Dips’: a Red Pepper Cream Cheese Dip and a Basil Dip with Pesto Drizzle. The name refers to the format, where a topping is flipped into the main container. This is a very different proposition from a character-led ice cream flavour.
- Gardman Flip Top Seed Feeder
- Floss Rock Waterpad Flip Book Space
- Smidge Flip Straw Bottle Citrus 1 2l
- Smidge Flip Straw Bottle Citrus 900ml
- Clementoni Disney Baby Mickey Flip Phone
- M S Flip Dip Red Pepper Cream Cheese Dip
- M S Flip Dip Basil Dip with Pesto Drizzle
- Smidge Flip Straw Bottle Summer Blush 1 2l
- Locknlock Kitchen Caddy with Flip To Lid 5l
- Smidge Flip Straw Bottle Summer Blush 900ml
Frequently asked questions
- Does Colin the Caterpillar ice cream already exist?
- Yes, but not in this format. Marks & Spencer currently sells Colin the Caterpillar ice cream sticks, which are chocolate-coated lollies with a decorated Colin face, but a large take-home tub is not part of the official range.
- What’s in the White Chocolate Party Edition flavour?
- The mockup suggests the tub would contain white chocolate ice cream mixed with multi-coloured hundreds and thousands. Based on other products in the Colin range, it would likely also feature solid white chocolate Colin faces.
- Is Colin the Caterpillar White Chocolate Party Edition ice cream real?
- No, this is a Snackfish. The image is a mockup created by the design page UK Snack Attack and is not a real M&S product.
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- Colin the Caterpillar White Chocolate Party Ice Cream Tub
- Magnum Robinsons Summer Fruits Ice Cream Multipack
You have been Snackfished!
Snackfish :
[sn-a-ck-fish] verb
A snack that lies about its legitimacy as an official product online for internet clout and attention. Most commonly fabricated in Adobe Photoshop or using the unofficial Snackfish AI