As consumers prepare for holiday gatherings, those that head to the specialty cheese aisle will be greeted with a sea of products and packaging that play up French heritage with images of the Eiffel Tower and red, white and blue branding. To break out of the pack, Savencia brand Alouette — best known for its Bries and other spreadable cheeses — has launched a rebrand inclusive of its logo, tagline and packaging. The overhaul is joined by new sonic branding and the marketer’s largest campaign in recent memory.
Alouette’s rebrand is focused on bringing the “little lark” of its namesake to life. The eponymous songbird is central to the new logo and inspired a slogan (“flavor that sings”) and sonic branding that draws from the melody of the familiar Quebecois children’s song (“al-ou-et-te”). The effort comes as Alouette celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“What a unique opportunity to bring our little lark, our Alouette, to life,” said Kriston Ohm, vice president of marketing at Savencia. “She’s going to tell consumers about this little secret: ‘A little birdie told me’ was the inspiration behind the idea.”
Getting the secret out
The “secret” of Alouette is the inspiring surprise that its products can deliver to consumers, thanks to packaging built around ready-to-serve ramekins and a presentation-forward floret garnish. The rebrand seeks to help consumers find Alouette amid a specialty cheese set that is often disjointed, unorganized and “quite intimidating.”
“We're utilizing our little bird to help consumers understand that these are very approachable cheeses that taste delicious,” Ohm said. “Once consumers do try them, we always get a response of, ‘Oh my gosh, these are really good, I didn’t know these existed.’”
Getting the secret out began with an update to the packaging, made with agency Marks, that presents food-forward product photography amid bold blue and greens. The makeover replaces previous packaging that was mostly white and followed category conventions.
“Inspired by their French heritage but with a modern twist, the new look feels inviting and effortlessly vibrant,” said Nic Lama, group creative director for brand design at Marks, in a statement. “We leaned into the songbird as a recognizable brand icon, creating a design world around it that is colorful, contemporary, charming, and delicious.”
The new design was developed in parallel with omnichannel creative assets, also created by Marks, that will run across social, digital, connected TV and shopper marketing channels. Alouette bills the campaign as its biggest activation to date. Breezy 15-second spots encourage consumers craving “delightful” and “delectable” snacks to “follow the little birdie” and dip, spread and savor its cheese. Static assets share messages that could be resonant during a holiday season that follows a divisive election, like “Log off... dig in” and “Less scrolling. More snacking.”
“We’re going to take the opportunity to test and learn which components work best,” Ohm explained. “How do we optimize the campaign as we continue to tell consumers about this brand?”
