Seymourpowell has recently collaborated with renowned Swiss chocolate brand, CAILLER, to completely rebrand its heritage chocolate collection. With a particular focus on premiumisation, the rebrand aims to rejuvenate CAILLER’S product range and connect with newer audiences through distinctive and personalised packaging.
Founded in 1819, CAILLER is Switzerland’s oldest chocolate brand still in existence. Whilst already having an established following with an existing Swiss generation who grew up with CAILLER, the chocolate makers were looking to ignite the same relationship and fondness with younger audiences, which Seymourpowell created with care and sensitivity to the heritage icon.
To learn more, we spoke to Allison Spence, creative director at Seymourpowell
What was the brief for the rebrand?
With exceptional brand foundations, Cailler has incredibly strong brand awareness and, historically, has been a brand pioneer. The previous Cailler pralines range lacked a product purpose and had little or no sensorial experience.
Our job was to elevate the Cailler pralines range for both Christmas and All Year Round (AYR) to be more relevant, premium and appetising. We were tasked with creating a beautiful design solution to entice and encourage consumers to purchase as the first choice for any gifting occasion.
How did the initial pitch/brainstorming phase go?
Our startpoint was through strategic positioning and assigning demand moments and identifying what the praline experience was for each individual subrange. (consumer and stakeholder interviews, hierarchy model scenarios, portfolio frameworks, etc)
This approach allowed us to create a clear understanding of the personalities and behaviours surrounding them. We then created moodboards and inspirational visual narratives to use as creative springboards.
Describe the purpose of the brand and its target audience
With such a diverse portfolio, and very distinct personalities/needs, there is no specific and rigid target consumer. This flexed across the subranges to adhere to the newly defined demand moments and gifting occasions.
With a heritage brand such as this, the audience is multi-generational and the portfolio caters to a wide spectrum of needs. E.g middle-age feminine skew for Femina vs. no gender bias, younger adults for Sublim.
What was your thinking behind the rebranding solution?
Quality and value perception were key, but most importantly, regaining some latent love for a brand that had lost its relevance over the years to more modern and progressive praline brands.
Did you learn anything new during the project?
Through our research and consumer interviews, it was very apparent that chocolate and gifting were intertwined and an intrinsic part of Swiss life, regardless of age or demographic. Understanding the consumer behaviours and the differences from our own relationship to chocolates and gifting was quite enlightening.
Gifts of chocolate are taken to any and every social occasion whether it be formal or informal and the choice of gift the individual imparts reflects significantly on them.
What was the biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?
Being sensitive to the very devout existing consumers. Those that were still purchasing the products had strong connections to the brand and were very passionate loyalists. However, this is an ageing demographic and we had to find the right balance of change to appease all audiences and introduce excitement for new ones (younger).
We had to make sure we were sensitive to these needs and therefore allow sufficient cues to take consumers on the evolutionary journey. This was primarily achieved through colour and retaining the existing subrange logos.
What kit/tools/software were used to create it?
Standard Adobe Creative Suite
What details are you most proud of any why?
We were given more freedom to revolutionise the Christmas limited edition range. Of all the product ranges, this was the most outdated and traditional and lacked enticing flavour cues.
Our creative solution added a bit of emotive magic, introducing a tangible and recognisable/familiar theme to make the designs more engaging and less static and staid.
What visual influences fuelled your solution?
We looked to analogous categories synonymous with luxury and superior quality such as beauty, spirits and premium coffee, but a majority of our influence was inspired by the Cailler brand itself. Looking into the archives and heritage to uncover brand truths and understanding why the quality cues had been lost over the years.
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
Increased sales and an uplift in consumers reappraising as the first choice for gifting at any occasion. We want our audience to see Cailler pralines as luxuriantly delicious, indulgent and immersive. To make any occasion special and even more memorable!
What would you do differently if you could do it over again?
I would love to rework and craft the sub-range logos, particularly Femina and Ambassador.
With the newly assigned demand moments and personas there is room for improvement and modernisation – thus giving them more space between them, to have a more individualised character of their own.
Credit list for the work?
Design, Illustration and Artwork – Seymourpowell
Praline Photography – Hilary Moore Photography
Shoot Stylist - Lynne Clayton
Shoot Assistant - Toby Nima
