Hello Sunshine

When the chips are down transforming a declining brand to growth isn’t an easy feat. McCain invented the frozen chip, are the UK’s biggest supplier and remains a global family business to boot. But despite chips being loved the world over for bringing joy to family mealtimes, McCain was in decline and had a brand issue. Fifteen years ago, fries were being vilified by the media, and frozen food was ‘over’. Fast forward to today, our partnership with McCain spans decades and the story of long-term brand growth has been years in the making.

To drive growth, we needed to shift gears and create new meaning for the brand, evolving its identity beyond just product to pave the way for innovation. Shifting the narrative and brand associations from guilt (think frozen and processed) to warmth by introducing the rising sun as a new distinctive asset. The sunshine, birds and field allowed the brand to tap into cues of naturalness and homegrown goodness. Meanwhile, the McCain wordmark was retained but refreshed, allowing reappraisal amongst new consumers without the risk of losing existing loyalists.

We injected another big dose of joy by segmenting the range based on occasion rather than function, opening up new cross-purchase opportunities. This uplifting brand identity and range strategy also allowed McCain to move beyond chips and command a premium. From ground breaking innovation shaking things up in the chilled aisle with Shake Shake Fries to stripping things back and repositioning declining Oven Chips as Naked Chips, McCain has been able to play—and lead—in entirely new spaces.