The packaging for cheese and butter, made with simple, all-natural ingredients, will be officially launched across the US this spring.
'New face'
Megan Patterson, head of retail marketing, Fonterra US, said the packaging was designed with flavor and function in mind.
"The goal was to create a package to connect the US consumer with our New Zealand homeland," she said.
"I wanted a look, feel that would assign a color that popped off the shelf, allowing each of our cheeses to stand alone by flavor profile and fit together as a family. Our vintage and aged organic are more of a reserve and needed to stand out from the pack creating a bolder look and calling attention to their attributes. The Zeal of New Zealand is what inspired the pack start to finish."
Patterson added the packaging was designed by Lauren Hayes from SRW its US Retail/Consumer Agency. It was instrumental in putting the vision to paper and to pack.
"Lauren and the SRW team did an amazing job. We couldn’t be more pleased with them. The finished work was completed by myself and Kraftworks in New Zealand," she said.
"From start to press to in pack took around eight months. It’s important to note the Anchor US package is very different from Anchor on a global scale. It required a bit of pushing out of our global comfort zone to get us where we are today.
Natural Products Expo West
"We were originally using a design team out of New Zealand, however I wanted to use a US designer who understands the dairy industry, the natural specialty allowed me to pull the vision from my head and leap out of the page onto the package.
"I took a call with Kate Weidner one of the “Head Hooligans” at SRW who ironically had given me sage career advice that lead me to this role. We set up a face to face with her and the team which included lead designer of this project Lauren Hayes. Our initial meeting took place on a Wednesday and I had 14 designs by Friday morning."
Patterson said the company was delighted to give attendees to Natural Products Expo West ‘a sneak peek’ of the ‘new face’ of Anchor US.
The brand, founded in 1886, is known for its New Zealand-made, grass-fed, pasture-raised dairy products and plans to change the way Americans think about quality dairy by upholding the heritage of New Zealand Dairy practices of over 200 years.
“We place the utmost importance on clean sustainable farming and animal care practices,” said Patterson.
“Our cows are extremely cared for and live most of their days on Fonterra Family Farms with lush, green pastures - on a global dairy farming scale this is very unique.
“Sharing the pure New Zealand taste in Anchor Butter and Cheese is our goal.”