10 April 2009
Sainsbury’s has rebranded the fish known as pollack (or pollock), as it believes people are too ashamed to ask for it. Instead they will call it, “colin”, which is the French word for hake.
The move is has been triggered by worries over depleted cod reserves. Pollack, or colin, apparently tastes very similar to cod but is a more sustainable species. But colin? Really? Sainsbury’s suggests we pronounce it the French way, “co-lan”. Which also sounds suspiciously like a body part. And putting on a French accent is sure to embarrass more people than pollacks – or pollocks.
Sainsbury’s may find it has yet more confusion on its hands as a result of the move, as France buys 70 per cent of British exports of pollack – which has now mysteriously become hake.
This is not all. The supermarket will also repackage the fish in illustrated boxes created by Red or Dead fashion designer Wayne Hemingway, inspired by the artist Jackson Pollock, to make the fish stand out to buyers on the shelf (and make colin look cool).
What would you be more embarrassed to ask for, boring old pollack or trendy new colin? Whichever, this is a marketing move that has put an old-fashioned fish back on the map.
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