Going beyond each individual snack cake to showcase an entire range.

challenge

With an identity that lacked any real personality, the Specialities range—made up of Vachon’s generic products—had, over the years, become a sort of parking lot for unevenly distributed products. The attraction was to each product individually, rather than to a range as a whole, and Vachon was not playing its role as an umbrella brand.

strategy

Overturn the attractiveness to the product, replacing it with an attractiveness to the brand by creating a unifying image stamped with the Vachon seal of quality.

objectives

Create a brand effect by focusing on a strong common thread showcasing the essence of Vachon. Build a cohesive family, but one in which each product has its own personality and distinguishing elements.

team

Marie-Ève Caron, planning and brand strategy
Geneviève Grenier, marketing and business strategy
Caroline Reumont, art direction
Élyse Noël de Tilly, copywriting
Josiane Roy-Hétu, project management
Steve Desmarais, graphic production
Alain Sirois, photograpy
Denis Riverin, photo retouching

methodology and insight

One of the powerful insights that emerged from our qualitative research conducted across Canada was the notion of festive pleasure that surrounded the Vachon brand. The idea of enjoying a Vachon snack cake was seen as a little celebration in itself, and this is what provided the starting point for our process of reflection about the brand.

putting it to work

To create unity, the 9 boxes in the Vachon Specialities range retain key elements of the brand (the colour red, the band, the company history, and short descriptors from which consumers can get a “taste” of the cake in a few words), while use of confetti and bright colours suggest a party atmosphere and the pleasure surrounding the brand. Lastly, the creation of a custom-made typeface for each cake expresses their individual personalities.

impact

A 12% increase in the range’s penetration and 6% increase in sales in the six months following the launch of the new platform. The new brand image prompted chains to bring the entire range to their shelves, rather than just a few cakes, which translated into an increased number of SKUs in store.