Something extraordinary

The way that a brand chooses to position itself can have a dramatic effect on the way that its products are perceived or experienced.

The theme at an LPK event hosted at Grain Store, a restaurant by Bruno Loubet and The Zetter Group that puts vegetables at the heart of its meals, was ‘making the ordinary extraordinary’. If the humble vegetable can be the star of a meal, the brand agency argued, then a seemingly ordinary product can be made exciting by virtue of its brand positioning.

As an exercise, LPK and Grain Store created an artichoke and pea ketchup, and challenged the LPK designers to create four very different ways of positioning that product. The brand expressions are examples of ways that brands can differentiate themselves from their competitors by providing unique and extraordinary brand experiences.

David Beard, executive creative director at LPK, says, “Great brands create desirable experiences by connecting in a way that transcends the rational, reaching people’s hearts. Now more than ever it’s crucial brands realise the potential of doing this well.”

The four different brand identities ranged from virtuous to fun, and from local and community-centric to seductive and desire-inducing - all traits that, traditionally, are not necessarily associated with vegetable products. The packaging ideas were also unusual, and perhaps more often associated with other, non-edible products. LPK wanted to show that brands can push the boundaries of what is usually expected from a certain sector or product. 

LPK works with a number of food and beverage brands, including Kellogg’s and Heinz.