Apr 3, 2026
When Creating a New Brand Means Preserving the Old: TG Jones
In June 2025 WH Smith departed the UK high street when its 480 stores were acquired by a private equity company Modella Capital. But rather than let the brand disappear, they created TG Jones, a carefully crafted successor designed to feel familiar.
The name isn’t derived from a real person. It was invented by Modella to echo WH Smith’s family business heritage—Jones, like Smith, is a common British surname. The branding follows suit: similar blue-and-white colour scheme, comparable text mark, deliberate visual continuity.
**Commentary: #whatbrandsdo does not usually step outside CPG/FMCG but this rebranding example highlights the importance and power of brands. For interested observers the change will create a unique test case in how retail brands add value. **
**Necessity is the mother of invention and faced with a Hobson’s Choice – the new owners did not have access to the WH Smith brand – the new management’s response is not bad. WHSmith is not a brand without its challenges in a fast-changing, rapidly digitising retail world – but it is historically a much-loved brand, a UK high street institution. Losing, and replacing it, is a big task. **
In attempting to shadow the old brand versus create something completely new, they have made their first good call. The depth of awareness, and probably latent affection, at least in older audiences, might not be translating into enough regular usage but it represents the key starting point for future success. A brand has deeper roots than a product ever can.
**The identity itself keeps the colourways, and the name is clever, the Smith and Jones link is subtle but will tug at our collective subconscious. We do feel the typography lacks a bit of retail punch – the move to a sans-serif modernises but lacks the weight and personality of the old logo. It needs a bit more uniqueness and ‘brandedness’. This would also have created a greater sense of confidence – key in times of brand transition. **
Overall, not bad in the face of a difficult challenge. As always this is step one on a journey. Innovation and service delivery will decide what we feel about the new brand in the longer term. We will watch this space.
