BLACKBIRD FINANCE
Blackbird Finance are a specialist lender for importers or dealers in the motor vehicle industry. They allow their clients to secure finance of vehicles that are in transit or still getting compliance. We partnered with Blackbird Finance to redefine their brand from a dated, traditional corporate brand into a emotive brand that would help them stand-out in the marketplace. To do this we worked with Andrea Minini, a world renowned Italian illustrator based in Novara to craft the new Blackbird.
PROJECT OUTPUT
Visual identity, website, vehicle livery, signage, collateral.
Before
ARCADIA
Arcadia Park is a development of 10 architecturally designed town-houses in the heart of Epsom by awarded architects Leuschke Group who are one of New Zealand’s leading architectural practices.
We partnered with Arcadia Developments to develop Arcadia Park brand identity and marketing collateral to help promote and sell their family of town houses and bring the potential of the development to life. The symmetry and strength of the A is an integral part of the brands identity which is founded on the principle of creating beautiful high quality family homes.
PROJECT OUTPUT
Branding, collateral, communications.
2022 Transform Awards
Best Brand Evolution (Consumer)
Gold Winner
“The brand changes hit the mark with consumers at the point of sale and the depth of the brand creates a relationship between producers and buyers for future purchases.”
— 2022 Transform Awards judging comments
BIRD & BARROW
Previously known as George and Jo’s, consumer research told us there is a mistrust with the brand, as ‘George’ and ‘Jo’, and their illustrative representations on pack were fictional characters, created to represent the collective of farmers that raised the chickens. However consumers were suspicious that if they were made up, then why should they trust the claims of being 100% antibiotic free and free range?
So we developed a brand platform and new name for the brand ‘Bird & Barrow Free Range, 100% Antibiotic Free Chicken’, to communicate what makes this chicken special, and at the heart of everything was their hardworking farmers, their respect for the environment and genuine care that produces chicken you and you family can trust.
Like you, we care about the food we eat. We like to know where it comes from and how it’s been treated from farm to fork. Bird & Barrow farmers’ commitment to a higher level of care, is how they bring you truly good Free Range Plus 100% Antibiotic Free chicken.
In a sea of green on the supermarket shelf, the distinctive blue packaging, with charming illustrations bring to life the story of the high standards of care, control, protection and freedom which enables these chickens to be antibiotic free. Right down to the radio that is played to keep them entertained!
PROJECT OUTPUT
Brand strategy, naming, packaging, website, communications, livery.
Before
CULLEY’S HOT SAUCE
Culley’s started off selling home-grown, home-made sauces in farmer’s markets back in 2010, and has since then achieved phenomenal success with a range of products in supermarkets, restaurants and specialty food stores throughout New Zealand and overseas. While the growth was great for the business, it meant that there wasn’t time to take stock, and develop a strategic vision and brand strategy for the company and product range.
We developed a brand essence for their core chilli sauce range around ‘flavour, fire, flair’. Their maverick and bold approach to making sauces was brought to life on pack through bespoke illustrations for each of the products, giving the range exceptional shelf standout, and a bottle any chilli head would be proud to put on their table.
PROJECT OUTPUT
Brand strategy, brand identity, packaging.
Before
CHALLENGE
Tip Top is the largest brand in New Zealand’s bread aisle, but its 36-SKU portfolio had become fragmented and inconsistent. Confusing naming conventions, unclear message hierarchies and a lack of visual cohesion made it difficult for shoppers to navigate. The challenge was to unify the range under one clear system that reflected how consumers actually shop, while reigniting love for the brand and reaffirming Tip Top’s place at the heart of Kiwi homes.
APPROACH
Through extensive research and strategic review, we simplified the brand’s architecture by moving from a complex sub-brand model to an occasion-based structure that aligned with modern shopping behaviour. The redesign consolidated messaging, refined the heart device and leveraged Tip Top’s signature red as an ownable brand asset for strong shelf standout. The positioning “The bread with the love baked in” became the foundation for a warmer, more human identity that celebrates quality and everyday goodness.
RESULT
The refreshed portfolio created clarity, cohesion and stronger recognition across all ranges. The new system made the bread aisle easier to navigate and re-established Tip Top as the trusted, loveable choice for New Zealand families. Sales lifted significantly across the category, and the previously underperforming Goodness Grains SKU saw a remarkable turnaround, now recommended by 90% of consumers.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Even the biggest brands need structure and heart to stay relevant. By unifying the Tip Top range and strengthening its emotional connection, we helped New Zealand’s best-known bakery brand rediscover its warmth, confidence and shelf dominance.
Before
TEGEL — 2015 Repositioning
Note : this case-study was created in 2015/16, it has now changed to a different look under new management.
Tegel had been an iconic NZ brand with more than 30 sub-branded product offerings across four very different grocery categories; Fresh, Frozen, Packaged Deli and Hot Cooked.
Brand strength had been significantly eroded by unstructured product development resulting in sku proliferation and inconsistent design across each sub-brand. Tegel was losing share of mind, market share, shelf space and value to competitor offers at both the premium Free range and Private Label value ends of the market across the store.
Late 2015 we embarked on a repositioning of the brand. The brief was to establish a strong consistent impression across the store that recognised but contemporised Tegel’s brand heritage. Create a clear sub-brand structure and hierarchy and deliver key shopper cues specific to each Category. Ensure stand out and ease of shopping across each Category’s very different point of purchase formats. Establish a clear premium to value hierarchy of each range within the category. Communicate critical provenance and animal welfare assurances. Inform usage and create stand-out appetite appeal.
We re-ignited Tegel’s brand by giving it a heart and soul, through a dynamic family look that could stretch across 240+ SKUs nationally as well as an extensive export portfolio. The design needed enough flexibility that it could target different need states across every category.
PROJECT OUTPUT
Brand identity, packaging, trade material, events, brand guidelines, corporate stationery.
Before
CHALLENGE
Every year, Kiwis send over 123,000 tonnes of edible food to landfill. Waste-Not Kitchen was founded to help change that by transforming surplus meat from Farro Fresh into nutritious soups for those in need. The initiative operates on a simple “buy one, give one” model : every soup purchased donates another to families in the local community. The challenge was to create a brand and packaging system that captured this powerful purpose while feeling positive, approachable and full of heart.
APPROACH
We developed a brand identity that expressed both care and optimism – a celebration of doing good, not a lecture about waste. The name Waste-Not Kitchen inspired a design language that feels warm and human, brought to life through hand-drawn character illustrations representing each flavour. The tone of voice balanced nourishment and purpose : Good for you. Good for the community. Good for the planet. The result was packaging that feels uplifting and real, something people are proud to buy, knowing it helps someone else.
RESULT
Within the first few weeks of launch, Waste-Not Kitchen had already donated thousands of soups and prevented significant amounts of quality food from going to landfill. The brand quickly built awareness through its authentic story and relatable design, engaging both Farro shoppers and local communities.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Purpose-led brands don’t just feed demand – they feed change. Waste-Not Kitchen proves that design with heart can transform surplus into sustenance, turning a sustainability challenge into a story of community nourishment.
SUGARTREE LANE
As Auckland continues its giddy growth, a new urban life is flourishing within the once empty CBD. SugarTree Lane, a retail hub neatly contours around the edge and under the impressive SugarTree development. The development sits in a new ‘golden’ triangle between Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Freeman’s Bay and flanks the CBD, within easy walking and cycling distance to many of the city’s main attractions.
We partnered with SugarTree to create the naming, brand identity, website and marketing collateral to help promote and sell their retail spaces and bring the potential of the development to life. The identity plays on the open laneways configuration of the development, while the messaging alludes to the infinite possibilities that can be enjoyed at SugarTree Lane.
PROJECT OUTPUT
Naming, brand identity, website, marketing collateral, advertising, environmental graphics, way-finding.
NUMBER WORX
Creating a new start-up is a big move and it was no different for Number Worx who offer businesses financial acumen & guidance to all sort of businesses. Launching themselves into the market for the first time, they needed a brand identity that gave them and potential new clients confidence. Our inspiration for the naming, logo design and collateral for Numberworx was piecing together the financial puzzle of business, delivered with simplicity and framed it up in a way that made it easy for people to understand and relate to.
PROJECT OUTPUT
Naming, logo design, stationery, collateral.
ANCHOR FLAVOURED MILK
The biggest challenge for this brief from Fonterra was the packaging update for Anchor Flavoured Milk had to work in up to 14 very diverse countries, across multiple languages. Based on research insights we moved away from the previously sports focused packaging, to a simpler, bolder design that heros flavour and has the personality and stand-out to connect with younger consumers and transcend language barriers.
Strong, visual point-of-sale was a must to help communicate the packaging change and grow the brands share across these markets. We brought the packs to life on the comms. touch-points so if you couldn’t read you would still understand the message.
PROJECT OUTPUT
Packaging, point of sale, vehicle livery, trade presenters, promo give-aways, outdoor advertising.
Before
