Ordinarily the supermarket sweep doesn’t throw up much that catches the eye, but today was quite an exception.

Now, I love a bit of category disruption. There’s nothing quite like an ocular shock to jump you out of your routine. Things like the Hovis Baked Bean wrappers (WMH was behind that I think?), cooking stock in ring-pull cans, Marmite peanut butter (double yuk but I know it has fans in my family.) 

And then there’s that point where things begin to veer from the ‘ok, odd, but ok’ - those chocolates in what looked like oil paint tubes - to the ‘umm… really?’

The particularly arresting innovation from today’s pop to the shop, while certainly offering standout, I really didn’t get. And literally didn’t buy.

Call me old-fashioned but I was always warned not to put things in containers that could result in a mix-up-fatality. Stuff like paint thinners in glass bottles. Not a refreshing sip but a guaranteed trip to accident and emergency. 

Our new beverage line here, while it reverses that switch, and must have oozed ‘am I handsome enough to kiss cool’ in the presentations feels awkward on the shelf. The fidelity to the automotive oil visual language is great. But just a little too real. And the italic letterplay is cute (not sure Gin is fuel for my dreams, mind), but left me thinking, thanks, but I’ll pass.

These surreal smash-ups were (still are) the food and drink of design student years, making for arresting portfolio pieces to get you noticed. Get the conversation flowing. And hats off to the Engine distillers for having a go - at least they grabbed my attention and helped me to remember to stop at the garage on the way home. Need to top the car up with Organic Extra Virgin Diesel.