Tayto

Largo Foods - Tayto

After Guinness and St. Patrick’s Day, Tayto is probably Ireland’s most iconic brand.

My relationship with brand owner Largo Foods began when they approached me to design and illustrate Mr.Tayto’s biography, the fictional founder and CEO of Tayto Crisps – Ireland’s most recognised snack food. Essentially, Mr.Tayto is to Tayto Crisps what Mickey Mouse is to Disney. In fact, he even has his own theme park, Tayto Park.

There was a great deal involved. Firstly, we needed to develop and build a collection of 3D Mr. Tayto characters, in various poses and guises. We even created models of his ancestor Turlough O’Taytaigh who, according to legend, introduced the potato to Europe – not Sir Walter Raliegh, apparently!

To flesh out the biography and make it convincing, I needed to design, create and photograph heirlooms, keepsakes and mementos. In short, I had to make a fictional potato-man real. I created a family tree, school report cards, extracts from his diary, postcards from Irish College, photos from his illustrious sporting career and a whole lot more.

The challenge was to heighten the humorous nature of the book and the character, while remaining true to the conventions of a biography. This deadpan approach had to carry through the text and the visual execution, and on into POS, in-store posters, PR materials, flyers, wearables and even Mr. Tayto’s own pimped up delivery van.

The book went on to be a best seller and the characters we created became a national phenomenon!

Tayto Park - Theme Park Branding

Mr. Tayto’s book project eventually led to many successful years working with Largo Foods, which included branding Ireland’s most successful theme park - Tayto Park and the Cuchulainn Roller Coaster.

My job was to create an identity that captured the fun and excitement of this unique visitor experience. The visuals needed to convey the unforgettable experience of a visit to Tayto Park, but also had to connect to the main Tayto snack foods brand, generating support and interest for all Tayto products across the country.

If you have a project in mind, drop me a line, I’d love to chat. hello@igarykelly.com

Mr. Tayto Branding - Logo Design - Book Design - Poster Design - Point of Sale - Merchandise - Cuchulainn Roller Coaster - Agency