Hi-Tide is a UK food brand identity designed in 1967 by British designer Nicholas Jenkins. Jenkins, a senior Royal College of Art tutor and consultant, was responsible for numerous high-profile corporate identity and branding projects in the UK, ranging from WHSmith to Mowlem and from De La Rue to the Church of England.[1][2]
Design and History
Jenkins is best known for his work on the 1973 WHSmith identity, developed alongside Professor Richard Guyatt, Ian Middleton and Jane-Ann Withers. That project produced the famous “cube” shaped logo, which was supported by a logotype set in Times Bold.[1]
The Hi-Tide logo, created five years earlier in 1967, is a lesser-documented work from Jenkins’ portfolio. While the specific visual elements of the Hi-Tide mark are not detailed in available sources, the design is associated with a UK food brand and reflects the clean, mid-century aesthetic common to British corporate identity work of that period.
Jenkins’ broader career included work on packaging design and annual reports, as well as the authorship of books on visual identity and photographic techniques for design.[2][3] His Spanish-language book La identidad visual de la empresa (published 1993) further established his expertise in corporate visual identity.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The name “Hi-Tide” suggests a connection to the sea, consistent with a coastal or seafood-related food brand. However, no documented source confirms the specific symbolism or intended meaning of the logo’s visual elements. The mark’s simple, balanced composition is characteristic of mid-century British design practice, though specific design intent for this particular logo has not been publicly documented.
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