BOSTON — Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. on Monday unveiled a new brand identity sure to make waves.
The refreshed approach marks the first major brand overhaul in over two decades. During this process, the strategy was fueled by the vision of being "wildly uncommon" – this guided the brand's new approach to culture, creativity and connection with its consumers.
Throughout the undertaking, each brand touchpoint – from creative strategy, partnerships, innovation, and packaging – was thoughtfully renewed to showcase the strength and tenacity of the brand while adding a modern spin. As part of this evolution, the brand updated its system of designs and visuals.
Together with Stone Strategy & Design, the teams crafted an updated logo, new illustrations, tone of voice, typography, and photography to reflect the grit and maverick nature of the co-op founders and the nearly 700 family farmers who continue their legacy today. The desire to be wildly uncommon even came through in the team's approach to the fruit-filled wave – a visual reminder of the iconic logo and the refreshing, flavor-fueled beverages. Instead of relying on stock imagery, the team created a one-of-a-kind mechanism to manipulate water and fruit into a wave.
The result was perfectly imperfect splashes of the liquid, reflecting the refreshing nature of the juices. The brand's ambitious roots were also imitated in the choice to use printer-press-inspired typography on its new label designs and more candid-style imagery of the grower-owners.
"Taking on the task to redefine the brand identity of a nearly 95-year-old company is something we didn't take lightly. Guided by the desire to show up in wildly uncommon ways and be unapologetically offbeat, allowed us to lean into what makes the co-op so unique," said Eliza Sadler, head of brand elevation at Ocean Spray. "I'm proud to say that we have achieved this – this reimagining is as bold as our fruit and unapologetically ambitious as our founders. Through every touchpoint, we are focused on unleashing and fully leveraging the equity and strength of the Ocean Spray brand in a way that shepherds us into the next generation while remaining true to our legacy."
As part of this overhaul, the brand has significantly changed its approach to advertising, partnerships, licensing, and product innovation. These efforts have proven successful with award-winning ad spots, the launch of new products like Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Bites, the brand's first Zero Sugar beverage, and the rollout of the limited-edition Cran x Dragon Fruit blend, which sold out in less than 24 hours on Amazon. Beyond its portfolio, this month, Ocean Spray is showing up in new places and spaces for consumers as Absolut introduced the Absolut Vodka and Ocean Spray Vodka-Cranberry Range.
Consumers can already see the refresh reflected in designs across the brand's portfolio of new products, and starting this month, Ocean Spray will roll out the refresh across most of its signature beverages and new Craisins Dried Cranberries-centered products.
