318 7 Brand Stories From The Design Front Lines 1500970240

THE NIELSEN DESIGN IMPACT AWARD CHRONICLES:
7 BRAND STORIES
FROM THE DESIGN
FRONT LINES
2017 EDITION
Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company

INTRODUCTION
If you ask a brand manager to name the highest-impact marketing lever she knows, odds are
that she wont choose package design. In fact, it may not even make it into her consideration
set. Why?
For starters, packaging seems analog in an increasingly digital world. It feels antiquated, and
marketers are naturally inclined to believe that newer is bettersurely weve come up with
innovative digital campaigns that are light-years ahead of a package redesign. This is true
in some respects, but patently false in others. For example, there is still no other marketing
medium that reaches 100% of category buyers at the retail shelfin the moment when
they are deciding what to purchase. In todays increasingly fragmented, time-shifted media
environment, this fact alone should encourage marketers to rethink the potential of package
design.
Secondly, the impact of package design is notoriously difficult to quantify. Unlike with
advertising, it's not possible to measure packaging impressionsand, even if it was, package
design would still be inseparable from your other marketing efforts; its often the hero of
your TV commercial, magazine advertisement, and social media posts. Regardless, these
complicating factors dont mean that package design fails to deliver business valuefar from
it. In fact, one could argue that great packaging only amplifies the effectiveness of nearly all
your other marketing efforts.
Over the past few years, Nielsen has taken strides to measure and demonstrate the power
of package design. Our recent research found that optimized package redesigns generate an
average 5.5% lift in forecasted sales revenue when compared to current designs.1
THE NIELSEN DESIGN IMPACT AWARD

In 2017, we created The Nielsen Design Impact Award in collaboration with The Dieline as
another avenue to demonstrate the considerable impact that effective package design can
have, and to celebrate brands that are elevating the role of packaging in the marketing mix.
Specifically, the award recognizes seriously successful package redesigns in the fast-moving-
consumer-goods spaceones that have helped to drive significant increases in brands
bottom lines.
In February, we invited brand marketers and design agencies to submit their projects for
consideration. During the four-week window that followed, we received hundreds of entries
describing successful package redesigns launched between January 1, 2014 and March 1,
2016. From there, we conducted a blinded review of the in-market performance for these
initiatives, identifying those associated with a demonstrable increase in retail sales dollars
and units in the year after the redesign when compared to the year prior. Next, for this subset
Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 2

of initiatives, Nielsen surveyed thousands of consumers to assess how well each redesign
conveyed its core strategic message and to gauge purchase preference for the new packages
over the old ones.
Based on our analysis, we selected seven initiativesfive winners and two honorable
mentionsthat leveraged package design to truly remarkable effect. They represent a
wide range of business situations: a category giant in rapid decline, a timeless brand whose
packaging had run out of time, an iconic favorite that embraced the upside, a niche brand that
managed to win over the masses, and more.
While our winners certainly arent the only entries we received that made a meaningful impact
on brands bottom lines, they are some of the more extraordinary cases. Read onwe think
youll see what we mean.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2017
NIELSEN DESIGN IMPACT AWARD
WINNERS
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Lean Cuisine Marketplace
WINNERS
Buchanans Scotch Honest Tea California Olive Ranch PERDUE SHORT CUTS
Whisky Olive Oil
HONORABLE MENTIONS
CHEEZ-IT Black Ink Red Wine

IN WINNERS OWN
WORDS: STORIES
OF EPIC DESIGN
SUCCESS
5Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 5

GRAND PRIZE WINNER
LEAN CUISINE MARKETPLACE

How one brands new design revived an entire category
BEFORE AFTER
The early 2010s marked the beginning of the fresh Renaissance for American consumers.
Veggies were suddenly in vogue; fresh, never frozen claims on meat packaging became
veritable consumer magnets; and convenient grab and go salads were godsends for health-
conscious shoppers on busy days. To put it another way, the frozen aisle was beginning to
look a little deserted.
From 2013 to 2015, unit sales in the frozen entre category declined 7%. As a major player
in the category, Lean Cuisine suffered a significant blow. The brand had been declining for a
few years; wed lost hundreds of millions of dollars and a significant chunk of market share.
Consumers thought about frozen food as very processednot very healthy or tasty compared
to fresher options. Additionally, Lean Cuisine was known as a diet brand, an association
which had fallen out of favor with consumers, explained Daniel Jhung, vice president of
marketing at Nestl USA.
WE KNEW THAT IF WE WANTED TO MAKE A REAL

STATEMENT, PACKAGING WOULD BE THE MOST
EFFECTIVE MEDIUM.
DANIEL JHUNG, VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AT NESTL USA
In an attempt to pivot away from this diet association, the brand had attempted two
relaunches in previous years, but the execution was too subtle to make a lasting impression
on consumers. We knew that if we wanted to make a real statement, packaging would be the
most effective medium. We could convey the new positioning through TV, but not everyone
sees a TV spot, especially in this day of media fragmentation. Everyone sees the packaging
though, said Jhung.

The other reality is that, if your brand has lost hundreds of millions of dollars, youre not going to have
the same marketing budget that you did four or five years before. My budget was about half of what
it used to be so, in my mind, packaging was probably the number one touchpoint over TV, digital, and
everything else we were doing, he continued.
The brand was in a free-fall, and the team had significantly fewer resources with which to turn things
around, but there was a silver lining: Because of the state of the business, we were able to really
tear down the brand completely and build it back up again, one piece at a time. Everything was very
thoughtfully researched and executedI dont see that with every redesign, said Debbie Bester, design
manager at Nestl, who led the project.
From a pool of eight design agencies, the brand team selected Pearlfisher as its partner. Prior to
bringing us in, Lean Cuisine had done a lot of testing about how consumers perceived the brandits a
very large, complex portfolio, the architecture didnt make any sense, and consumers just didnt know
what Lean Cuisine stood for anymore, recalled Hamish Campbell, creative director at Pearlfishers New
York office. The first thing we did was to put in place a strong strategic foundation for the brand. We did
an intensive immersion over a couple of days, working with Nestls internal chefs and our own Futures
team to understand the types of food and where food trends are going. We quickly realized that not only
did we need to change peoples perceptions of the brand, we needed to change their perceptions of the
entire category, he continued.
In these immersive sessions, the concept of food moods emerged as one way to segment the portfolio
and create meaning for consumers. The team eventually defined four moods, planning to
provide each one of them with a distinct visual identity. They were:
Marketplace: modern, restaurant-quality recipes made with trendy ingredients
Comfort: familiar, go-to meals that deliver savory flavors and desirable benefits
Favorites: classic and simple dishes
Craveables: delicious bar-food made to satisfy a craving without overindulging
At the time, Lean Cuisine packaging had a white background with orange typography, and
everything was very plug-and-playthere was no difference between the varieties and no
relation to culture and how we live life. The new visual architecture made consumers feel
that Lean Cuisine understood their world. They know that Im rushing to pick up the kids
from football practice or violin lessons. They know I need to get food on the table, and
theyre making my life easier for me, explained Campbell.
Ultimately, Pearlfisher presented three different design routes to the brand team based
on the food mood segmentation, ranging from relatively safe to bold. Consumer testing
affirmed the teams hunch: the design representing the biggest, most dramatic departure
from the categoryand the one that represented the greatest pivot away from diet
foodwas the clear winner.
Often brands have an equitya color or some other visual elementthat they feel is a
sacred cow. Lean Cuisine had used a white box for more than 30 years with orange as a
secondary color. Many brands would think you cant walk away from that. In the case of
Lean Cuisine, it was a hard pill for some stakeholders to swallow, recalled Jhung.

Nevertheless, Pearlfisher succeeded in convincing the brand team that, while the white box was an
equity, it had become a negative one; as a frozen brand, Lean Cuisine needed to warm up its packaging.
If you just completely throw out all your equities, yes, youre going to have a dramatic failure. However,
identifying and building on your foundation can give you more freedom in the areas where youre failing.
In the case of Lean Cuisine, going from a white box to a black box was one of the most dramatic changes
we could make, but we did it in a way that took their core consumers along on the journey and helped
them to discover SKUs that had always been in their portfolio but had previously failed to be noticed
because they looked too much like everything else. Ultimately, if were working on a declining brand
and doing something that everyones comfortable with, were probably not pushing hard enough, said
Campbell.
In addition to the new color scheme and brand architecture, the food photography played a critical role
in differentiating Lean Cuisine from competitors and increasing appetite appeal. We needed the box to
look so appetizing that people felt compelled to eat the packaging, remarked Jhung.
With the photography, we tried to break category conventions. All the existing offerings in the frozen
aisle had the food styled perfectly on a white plate. For the Marketplace line, we did away with plates;
the food sits directly on a black restaurant slatewhich reminds consumers of a chalkboard where daily
specials are writtenand it looks much more authentic and less staged, like a real chef would make
it. Each image was true to the mood we were shooting for, right down to the last detailincluding the
textiles, utensils, ingredients placed off to the side, and so on, explained Bester.
Lean Cuisines bold attempts to change category perceptions attracted an unusual amount of attention
from their retail partners. It wasnt just Lean Cuisine that was decliningit was the entire category, and
retailers were eager to find a way to turn things around. In addition to competition from other areas
of the store, frozen was losing share to out-of-home options such as healthier quick-serve restaurants.
A lot of those category dollars were walking out of the store, and that really concerned retailers, said
Jhung.
WE EVEN HAD RETAILERS COME TO OUR PACKAGING

FOCUS GROUPS JUST TO HEAR WHAT CONSUMERS WERE
SAYING.
We had a strong partnership based on our great shopper and consumer insights, and even had retailers
come to our packaging focus groups just to hear what consumers were saying. They changed aspects
of their shelf architecture to match up where they were going with our food moods, and aligned their
reset windows with our launch timing. Additionally, we launched a lot of new SKUs at the same time, and
retailers took all of them. Bringing that volume back to the store and making those frozen doorswhich
are fixed assets for retailersproductive again was huge for them, added Jhung.
Lean Cuisine launched its new packaging in April 2015. The brands dollar volume went from a decline of
-16.9% in the year prior to the re-launch to an increase of +3.7% in the following year. The Lean Cuisine

Marketplace line alone generated an extra $58 million in retail sales during the year after the new design
was launched. According to Nielsen research, 73% of consumers indicated that they would purchase
the new design over the old onemaking it the most preferred redesign in Nielsens Design Impact
Award analysis. Additionally, 78% of consumers felt that the new design successfully addressed the key
strategic objective: to position Lean Cuisine as a modern health and wellness partner, rather than a
diet brand. The brands performance drove an incredible turnaround for the frozen nutritional meals
category overall, reversing a declining sales trend of -9.9% in the year prior to re-launch to a near-stable
-1.3% in the year following.2
I THINK THE NEW DESIGN WAS LIKELY THE NUMBER ONE

REASON THAT THE BRAND WAS ABLE TO TURN ITSELF
AROUND; IT CHANGED THE BRANDS EQUITY AND ITS
FORTUNE.
I knew the packaging was responsible for turning things around because there were three months
where we only had the packaging on shelfwe had no TV or digital advertising during that time, and
we started to see a significant lift in volume. Then the marketing we did afterwards really supported the
packaging. I think the new design was likely the number one reason that the brand was able to turn itself
around; it changed the brands equity and its fortune, reflected Jhung.

WINNER
BUCHANANS SCOTCH WHISKY

Bringing an iconic brand into the 21st century
BEFORE AFTER
Truly timeless brands are rarebut truly timeless packaging is a virtual impossibility.
Buchanans had been a celebrated part of peoples lives for a long time, but one generation
doesnt want exactly what the previous generation didand this is especially true with the
younger generation today, explained James Hernandez, global brand director for Buchanans
at Diageo. By 2013, the iconic whisky brand had been sporting the same package design for
more than 20 years. Not surprisingly, it had begun to feel a little dated when compared to
other premium competitors.
Some consumers would say, its a great brand, but its not for me. Well, why is that? We kept
digging and, of course, we discovered that there was some dust. It was starting to be seen as
my fathers whisky, a little bit dated, a little bit classic, explained Hernandez.
To win over the up-and-coming generation of consumerswho are notoriously aspirational

and increasingly choosythe brand needed a fresher look. However, the team made an
important distinction: We decided to make it up-to-date and modern, but not younger. The
idea was to stay true to the roots while fully entering the 21st century.
WE NEEDED TO TAKE A BIGGER CHANCE, OR WE

WOULDVE BEEN BACK IN THE SAME POSITION IN A FEW
YEARS TIME.
JAMES HERNANDEZ, GLOBAL BRAND DIRECTOR FOR BUCHANANS AT DIAGEO
Additionally, the brand team had also observed a trend toward premiumization in the whisky
category. The Buchanans name possessed the quality and credibility to capitalize on the
trendthey simply needed a package that would further elevate premium perceptions, ideally
justifying a slight price increase.

With these objectives in mind, the Buchanans team engaged forceMAJEURE, a New York-based design
studio, as their agency partner. When initiatives end well, its often because they start well, mused
Laurent Hainaut, CEO at forceMAJEURE. My entire team was invited to join Buchanans cross-functional
team in Scotland for deep-dive meetings. We visited the Dalwhinnie distillery, the archives and the
bottling facilitywe understood things from a branding perspective, a structural design perspective, a
consumer perspective, and so on. There was an incredible openness from the Buchanans team to share
all relevant information up-front, he recalled.
This in-depth briefing enabled the forceMAJEURE team to navigate a delicate and incredibly complex
problem: how to modernize an iconic brand without alienating it from its heritageor its current buyers.
We hadnt done anything to the Buchanans packaging in nearly 25 years. Theres only so close you can
stay to what you are now if you want to be able to live with the result for another 20 years. We needed
to take a bigger chance, or we wouldve been back in the same position in a few years time. So we told
Laurent and his team that we wanted the design to be all new and different, but not to touch anything
critical. Basically, we were asking for a hot ice cream, said Hernandez.
To find the right balance, we crossed the information we got from consumers and the information from
the brands rich history, and tried to reconcile those. We said, This element is important because its
doing this and that at the consumer level, but its also true to the brands historywe can develop that
story further. If something wasnt serving both the consumer and the brands authenticity, then it wasnt
important, explained Hainaut.
Through this process, the team identified four key visual assets that were integral to the brand, then
worked to modernize their execution.
The original label took its inspiration from the legal contract naming James Buchanan as whisky
supplier to the House of Lords; it reflected Buchanans confidence in his product quality and his
commitment to the consumer. The new label
continued to feature Buchanans signature,
but was modified to appear cleaner and
more modern, with updated typography.
The canteen-shaped bottle, reminiscent of

World War I water canteens, symbolized
sharing. The new design preserved the
overall shape, but adopted a smoother, more
rounded bottle.
The James Buchanan seals on the sides

of the bottle communicated quality and
authenticity. The new seals were refined and
adorned with ribbonboth of which were embossed into the glass itself.
The color green evoked lush Scottish landscapes and strengthened the connection to the brands
heritage. For the new design, variants were still distinguished by glass color, but the glass was
infused with a tinge of green to bring this element into the Deluxe Master Blend and Special Reserve
designs.

In narrowing down the potential design routes, the brand made a point of collecting feedback from
consumers who were light users, reasoning that this audience would drive the greatest incremental
growth. When we started seeing that the design was particularly attractive to light users, we decided to
take a gamble with our regular consumerswe wanted to focus on bringing new buyers into the brand,
said Hernandez.
After seven months, the team had completed the bulk of the design work. However, bringing their
rendering to life required months of additional work, including developing outer packaging and a
counterfeit-proof cap, as well as working closely with the supply and production teams to perfect the
result. Eventually, in October 2015, the new Buchanans packaging launched.
THE PACKAGE WAS THE CENTERPIECEAND PRACTICALLY

THE ONLY PIECEOF OUR TV ADVERTISEMENT.
JAMES HERNANDEZ, GLOBAL BRAND DIRECTOR FOR BUCHANANS AT DIAGEO
After more than two decades without a packaging change, Buchanans new look demanded a total 360
media campaign. Advertisements showed off the modernized packaging while reassuring consumers
that the product itself was still the same Buchanans they loved. The package was the centerpiece
and practically the only pieceof our TV advertisement for Buchanans. It was very similar to a car
commercial that shows you the beautiful wide shot and then takes you through all the little details. From
beginning to end, our ad was focused on the bottle. It not only helped us to present the new design, but
it actually strengthened core brand perceptions, said Hernandez.
In the United States, the Buchanans brand

experienced a 9% growth in dollar sales in
the year after the redesign. The packaging
fared extremely well in Buchanans other
markets as wellincluding Mexico, Colombia
and Central Americabringing the average
value growth across markets to 20%. The
recruitment figures were strong in all
markets, and this trend is still continuing
today. We were expecting this launch to
fare well, but I dont think anyone expected
the level of impact it has made, concluded
Hernandez.

WINNER
HONEST TEA
Bringing a beloved brand into the big leagues
BEFORE AFTER
In 2011, Coca-Cola acquired Honest Teaa small, but rapidly growing brand. Like many
ambitious companies whove attracted high-powered benefactors, Honest Tea began to ask
itself: So, how do we become a billion-dollar brand?
It was around this time that Ami Mathur, currently general manager and head of marketing,
joined Honest Tea. To scale the brand, she knew that it would need to win over mass-market
audiences. Honest Tea had fared very well at Whole Foods Market and was growing in
mainstream grocery stores, but the team knew it had the potential to grow faster. Initially,
Honest Tea had been focused on highly engaged, health-conscious consumersthe people
who read labels and prefer the cleanest ingredients. While this segment was important, we
needed to expand to first steppers: consumers who care about what theyre eating and
drinking, and want to be a little bit healthierbut not to the extent of our core buyers at the
time. Balance was key, said Mathur.
MOST OF US KNOW HOW MUCH A GREAT PACKAGE

CAN ACTUALLY IMPACT YOUR SALES, BUT NO ONE
USUALLY PUTS A NUMBER TO IT.
AMI MATHUR, GENERAL MANAGER & HEAD OF MARKETING AT HONEST TEA
From our initial research, we knew that our value proposition wasnt resonating with these
audiences. Honest Tea wasnt viewed as delicious, which is a problem in a category where
taste is absolutely the most important factor. The fact that its organic, while important,
wasnt the driving force for mainstream consumers. Additionally, from a shelf standpoint, the
packaging didnt really pop or persuade consumers to choose Honest Tea over competitors,
explained Mathur.

Despite Coca-Colas investment, Honest Tea was still relatively small with a proportionately-sized
marketing budget. We knew that there was an opportunity to broaden the reach me appeal of Honest
Tea, and my CPG experience told me that, when you have very few media dollars to spend, packaging
can be the main way to drive awareness and stopping power. Most of us know how much a great
package can actually impact your sales, but no one usually puts a number to it, said Mathur.
The team agreed to move forward with a package redesign, and assembled a clear brief that focused
on four goals: appeal to a mass consumer audience, improve visibility on shelf, better differentiate from
competitors, and create a stronger linkage to the brands core values and benefits.
I think the briefing is probably the most important stage of the

design process. If were not clear on the communication objectives
and success criteria, theres no way to judge if weve reached our
goalsit just becomes too subjective, said Mathur.
As the agency that worked on the project, Beardwood&Co

confirmed Mathurs sentiment. Even the initial RFP document
that we received was crystal clear on the consumer situation and
what it would take to grow the brand. Our team was invited down
to Atlanta for a day-long session with a large group of people who
were going to be involved in dramatically growing the brand. It
wasnt a half-hour meeting or just something done over the phone.
There was definitely a sense that this was a big deal and that we
were in it together, recalled Julia Beardwood, founding partner at
Beardwood&Co.
Beardwood&Co, a strong believer in the power of a clear, informed creative brief, uses a visual tool to
encourage clarity and alignment at the start of a project. Once the client provides us with a written
brief, we bring together a large set of images and do a sorting exercise with the team. For this project,
we said, Alright, were saying it needs to convey tasty, but what tasty is Honest Tea tasty? Were saying
approachable. What kinds of approachability are we talking about for Honest Tea? This process helps
the designers better understand whats on-brand and whats not, explained Beardwood.
Beardwood&Co came up with eight initial design directions, ranging from close-in options to more
dramatic departures from the current packaging. One of the things that Ive learned is that, if youre
launching a new product or if your existing product isnt working well, then you have a lot more creative
leeway when designing your pack. When your product is actually performing well and you want to keep
your users, theres only a certain level of change that you want to make. You need to ensure that your
product is still findable and reflective of your current brand, said Mathur.
I REMEMBER WHICH DESIGN WAS MY FAVORITE BECAUSE

IT DIDNT WIN! I THOUGHT, YES, LESSON LEARNED. THIS
IS WHY WE DO RESEARCH.
AMI MATHUR, GENERAL MANAGER & HEAD OF MARKETING AT HONEST TEA

We ended up taking four designs into consumer testing, including qualitative research and virtual
shelf testing. The ones that we ended up testing represented a fairly broad range. We played around
with the background color, the amount of ingredients, which fruits were shown on the label, and the
overall simplicity of the label. I felt like having a pretty wide range ensured that the process would yield
something good.
I remember which design was my favorite because it didnt win! I thought, Yes, lesson learned. This is
why we do research. We learned through the testingand we should have known this going inthat, if
our number one communication objective is to convey tasty and delicious,
we need to select the design that delivers the best on those attributes,
added Mathur.
In the end, we conducted quantitative consumer research on a few

designs. We wanted to ensure that the design we landed on wasnt just a
win based on qualitative feedback or internal consensus. We wanted the
numbers to prove wed chosen correctlybecause, in reality, thats whats actually
going to drive your sales. So, based off of that research, we chose the final design.
There was some minor stakeholder feedback, but we refused to give in on the
construct of the designthe label, the colored banding and the T. Miraculously, after
our testing was done, the numbers were so strong that we were able to get everyone
on board, said Mathur.
The chosen design included a few significant changes: a taller, narrower bottle to
bolster premium perceptions and drive shelf stand-out; a friendlier logo font with a
leaf icon and additional leaf imagery in the T to reinforce real tea ingredients; an
elongated T to make the packaging more iconic and recognizable at shelf; delicious ingredient imagery
inside the T to drive taste appeal; and colored bands at the top and bottom of the label to reinforce
flavor appeal. The textual communication was also simplified so that Organic and Just a Tad Sweet
stood out.
In March 2015, the new design launched. The results were phenomenal. They blew our expectations
out of the water. I think the impressive thing is that we grew distribution as well as velocity. We were
doing better, and I attribute much of that to the packaging because there wasnt a significantly increased
media investment, explained Mathur.
THE BRANDS INCREMENTAL SALES FOLLOWING THE

REDESIGN EXCEEDED THOSE ACHIEVED IN 2008 WHEN
COCA-COLA FIRST INVESTED IN HONEST TEA.
The amount of positive comments from consumers was really impressive as wellthey wrote to say, It
looks greatI cant wait to drink it, Its so refreshing, It makes me feel like its clean, and I can trust it,
added Mathur. The Nielsen Design Impact Award analysis confirmed a spike in consumer preference for
the new design, with nearly two out of three consumers preferring the updated package to the old one.
The year following the redesign, Honest Teas dollar sales grew by 64%. The brands incremental sales
exceeded those achieved in 2008 when Coca-Cola first invested in Honest Tea. I think thats just amazing
for this brand, said Mathur.

WINNER
CALIFORNIA OLIVE RANCH

OLIVE OIL
A modern design puts the grow in homegrown
BEFORE AFTER
Inspired by the spirit of the California wine movement, California Olive Ranch began creating
premium, domestically-produced olive oil in 1998. Eventually, it climbed the ranks to become
the top-selling U.S. brand that is actually manufactured in America.3 By 2014, the company
had undoubtedly come a long way; California Olive Ranch products could be found on the
store shelves of major retailers where they generated tens of millions of dollars per yearbut
their packaging had yet to catch up.
Consumers would tell us that our packaging still looked like it was from 1998, so we definitely
needed some updating in terms of style, said Grace Rusch, marketing manager at California
Olive Ranch. From consumer emails and social media posts, we also realized that some
people were confused about key messages that we wanted to get across. The main one was
that our product is grown and crafted in California. The second one is that were a vertically-
integrated company that uses sustainable farming practiceswe develop the product from
the ground up, and we have a strong connection to the land and to family farmers throughout
California. Relatedly, we wanted to make it clear that this is premium, extra virgin olive oil,
she continued.
The brand had already grown tremendously by 2014 with no signs of slowing down. At that
point, the team knew they wanted to refresh the brands look and feeland what better time
than the present?
As we continued to gain new distribution, we thought it was a great time to ensure that we
were being represented by a package and a logo that set us up for success. We did a survey of
brand recognitionand while were certainly not Nike or Apple by any meanspeople were
beginning to recognize our brand, and this seemed like a perfect window of opportunity to

update the look and feel of the package without losing the momentum we had created, explained
Rusch. She noted that a packaging change would also unify the brands current varieties and product
lines, paving the way for future additions.
THIS SEEMED LIKE A PERFECT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

TO UPDATE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE PACKAGING
WITHOUT LOSING THE MOMENTUM WE HAD CREATED.
GRACE RUSCH, MARKETING MANAGER AT CALIFORNIA OLIVE RANCH
First, we did some shelf research to understand the competitive landscape. What colors and bottle
shapes were our competitors using? What are their key messaging points? We saw that we were already
standing out against competitors because our color scheme was pretty different. This gave us the sense
that we didnt want a radical departure from our current packaging, said Rusch.
The team engaged Design Womb, a Chicago-based creative agency, as their partner to develop several
options for their new packaging. The most interesting and challenging part of the project was putting
a fresh take on their brand assets without compromising their core equitiesquality, passion and
sustainabilityor alienating their current buyers. Theres a fine line between taking things too far and
not taking them far enough, said Nicole LaFave, principal, designer and creative director at Design
Womb.
Ultimately, Design Womb explored various design directions while staying true to the brands objectives
and key messages. It can be challenging to show one concept we feel is our ultimate recommendation
for a project. Someone might not be as visually well-equipped as we are as designers, and to have them
feel really good about a solution, they often need to see something that isnt quite right to know what is,
said LaFave.
However, showing too many directions can be problematic in certain situations. Typically, I might aim
to show clients one designand up to three at mostfor a packaging project. I do this because, if
someone isnt particularly visual or doesnt have a strong marketing team behind them that can test
things, they can get too tied to something that a friend or coworker said, and the process becomes very
biased. On the other hand, if I think that my client can be more objective and a more organic part of the
process, I might share initial ideas and concepts earlier so that they can be a more integrated part of the
creative process, she continued.
As part of the creative exploration process, LaFave and the brand team carefully considered which
elements they wanted to push and which they shouldnt. They discovered that a few of the existing
assets worked well for the brandnamely, the blue sky and green landscape, the green square bottle,
and the olive-shaped grips on the bottle.
For the elements that werent resonating as well with consumers, the team explored a number of new
configurations. We played with color, label shape, typography, logo, and the style of the rancher image.
We knew we wanted to keep the rancher, but the older artwork was overly-detailed, and the man felt

far away and a little abstract. Eventually, we landed on something that was modern and geometric, but
didnt make it difficult to discern what the image was showing, explained LaFave.
The original artwork was themed after Atlas holding up the world,
but some people interpreted it as the olive actually being a weight on
the rancher. We wanted to reimagine his relationship to the olive, and
show how much care and passion goes into the farming of the olives,
then suggest how that travels down into the actual production of the
product, added Rusch.
The team also focused on strengthening the California equity of the

brand. A key insight from our initial consumer research was that,
although we clearly stated California on our packaging, it still wasnt
coming across clearly to the consumer because the design didnt really
say California, said Rusch. To remedy this, the agency chose a modern,
easy-to-read font and changed the fields in the original illustration to be
more representative of the hilly, Northern California landscape.
Next, the agency developed a visual language to differentiate flavor

variants and product lines within the portfolio. To set California
Olive Ranchs more premium Reserve Collection line apart from its
Everyday line, Design Womb employed a secondary color palette and
special effects such as a gold foil, metallic ink, embossing, and premium
papers.
To arrive at a final decision, the brand team collected feedback from colleagues, as well as from
consumers. We definitely did some in-store testing, especially on the Reserve Collection line, because
our marketing team was divided on two different design routes for that line. Getting the consumer
perspective was very helpful and served as a tie-breaker, recalled Rusch. That line had less distribution
than the Everyday line, and I really wanted a departure from the old Reserve Collection designI wanted
to see how far we could take it. The consumer research was clear that the farther-out design was still
recognizable and conveyed the right brand equities, but consumers really preferred the one that was
closer-in. We made some minor adjustments to that initial design, but we stayed true to what consumers
were telling us, she added.
THESE DESIGN DECISIONS AFFECT WHAT CONSUMERS

NOTICE IN A STORE AND ULTIMATELY WHAT THEY BUY.
NICOLE LAFAVE, PRINCIPAL, DESIGNER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT DESIGN WOMB
Reflecting on the importance of consumer response, LaFave commented: Many designers want to
make something amazing, but then they just dont understand that it still needs to sell in the store. I
used to design womens luxury shoes from start to finish, and I saw the whole spectrum from design to
commercialization. I learned that these design decisions affect what consumers notice in a store and
ultimately what they buyand some companies have to learn that the hard way. To junior designers, I
sometimes find myself saying, This drawing looks beautiful, but is it going to work in that situation? Is

this going to be too similar to everything else on the shelf with it? Is there a reason it should be different
or similar?
Not surprisingly, LaFave routinely takes her test designs to the shelf so she can understand how the
actual retail environment might affect their standout potential or differentiation in key areas. When I
was initially working on the design, I spent time at Target, Whole Foods Market, Costcolots of places
just thinking about how the design would actually be viewed there. When we were at the stage of
reviewing different design concepts, I would print it out and see how it looked on shelf, recalled LaFave.
After conducting multiple shelf tests, the team selected the final design route and moved forward with
confidence. Once the decision was made, it was very clear that was where we were headed. One of the
benefits of consumer research is that it helps drive consensus on the right direction, said Rusch.
In January 2016, the new design launched, not only performing well with consumers, but also with
retailers. The Reserve Collection definitely received more interest from retailers because it was a more
effective package than wed had before. The Everyday line was already well-distributed, but we had
launched two new varieties to that line prior to the redesignMild and Buttery and Rich and Robust
and I think the packaging helped gain distribution for those items because we had a more unified family
feel, explained Rusch.
IN THE ABSENCE OF MASS MARKETING MUSCLE,

CALIFORNIA OLIVE RANCH'S DOLLAR SALES GREW 54%.
Following the redesign, the brand relied primarily on the new packaging to drive incremental awareness
and trial. In terms of marketing support, we promoted the new packaging on our social media accounts,
and we worked with a handful of food bloggers who are our brand ambassadors. We sent them the
product so there was some imagery of the new packaging on influencers social media accounts, but
thats pretty much it, said Rusch.
Remarkably, in the absence of mass marketing muscle, California Olive Ranchs dollar sales grew 54%a
difference of nearly $15 millionin the year following the redesign compared to the year before. This
reflects more than a 40% increase in market share from 2015 to 2016.
Consumer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. I think this was a fairly bold change that has
cemented a great new direction for the brand. Weve just had an amazing response, concluded Rusch.

WINNER
PERDUE SHORT CUTS

How a new package form put one brand back on top
BEFORE AFTER
In 1994, Perdue introduced Perdue Short Cutsstrips of fully cooked chicken breastto the
refrigerated aisle, creating a new category of meal ingredients. Despite a steady stream of
competitive launches over the years, Perdue remained the category frontrunner for nearly
two decades. However, around 2012, Perdue began losing 3-4% market share per yearand
eventually lost its first-place standing too.
After two years of declining sales, we really started questioning what was going on in
the category. Was our product still delivering on consumers needs? Through consumer
research, we discovered that our buyers were satisfied with the product quality and taste.
Our weakness was our packagingconsumers felt it wasnt as convenient or easy-to-open
as they wouldve liked. They also viewed the product as over-packaged; it was bulky, and it
took up precious real estate in their refrigerators, explained Gail McWilliam, vice president of
marketing at Perdue.
In addition to wanting to delight its current buyers, the brand had aspirations to reach new
consumers. Through focus groups, we discovered that the current packaging was inhibiting
us from attracting new buyers. To do that, we needed our package claimssuch as the high
protein contentto be stronger, said McWilliam. Moreover, although Perdue Short Cuts
carved breast strips was the only brand that offered resealable packaging at the time, non-
buyers werent aware of this benefit. The resealable bag was obscured by the outer box, and
the visual design did little to communicate this feature.
While a package update seemed like the obvious solution, the team still needed to ensure the
rest of the organization was on board. Any time youre making a package structure change,
its considered risky. It required our operations team to really get behind the ideawe needed
them to streamline the process to ensure we wouldnt be adding costs. First and foremost, we
wanted to meet the consumer need, but we needed to show that there was greater reward
than there was risk. The consumer research we had done also played a big role in making
all stakeholders comfortable with what was perceived to be a dramatic change in format,
explained McWilliam.

Once the team secured the green light, they engaged an agency partner to develop
a range of packaging options. We took five different packages into quantitative
consumer testing, both online and in-store. There were different form options
we looked at trays where you can peel and reseal the top, we looked at the
tub form used for lunch meats, along with some other configurations. What
we found was that these forms werent as convenient as the bag because they
took up too much space in the refrigerator, a big issue since many consumers
were storing the product in a meat drawer, explained McWilliam.
Reflecting back on the research, the online eye-tracking studies that we conducted
with consumers were probably the most valuable piece. In addition to overall standout
performance, we were able to really understand what consumers were noticing first on our
package compared to what they were noticing first on key competitors designs. That allowed us to
ensure our changes would naturally draw consumers eyes to the information that was important when
making purchase decisions, she continued.
Based on these findings, the team confirmed that there were three key areas for improvement: package
structure, claims, and improving the appetite appeal of the product. Resealability was the number one
advantage that we had, and we needed to play it up. For the new package, we called out the high protein
content and the fact that we offered more product than competitors to enhance price-value perceptions.
We also emphasized the products taste and texturewe really focused in on that product shot, but we
also enhanced the transparent window so consumers could appreciate the product quality. The older
package had a window, but the contents were hidden behind a glossy bag and you had to shake the box
to see the product, so the new design brought it to the forefront, said McWilliam.
Leveraging their consumer research, Perdues sales team was able to protect their distribution and
shelf position by demonstrating to retailers that the new Perdue Short Cuts packaging could grow the
category. In 2014, the new package hit store shelves.
OUR YEAR-OVER-YEAR DOLLAR SALES INCREASED BY 20%.

WITHIN FOUR TO SIX MONTHS, WE HAD RECLAIMED OUR
CATEGORY LEAD.
GAIL MCWILLIAM, VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AT PERDUE
Soon after launch, the brand noticed an uptick in sales. Our panel data showed that we were not only
bringing in more consumers, but our current users were actually increasing the number of packages
they were purchasing, which we attribute to the space-saving benefits of the new package, explained
McWilliam. The Nielsen Design Impact Award analysis confirmed that the new structure was a hit with
consumers, with nearly three times as many consumers preferring the new package to the old one.
Originally, the team had set a goal to grow the brand by at least 4% in the year following the redesign
but it quickly became clear that the redesign would dramatically over-deliver. The results in the first
year were phenomenal; our year-over-year dollar sales increased by 20%. Within four to six months,
we had reclaimed our category lead. The year after that, we continued to see double-digit growth, said
McWilliam.

HONORABLE MENTION
CHEEZ-IT
The value of embracing the upside, rather than minimizing the risk
BEFORE AFTER
Every brand manager knows a few cautionary tales of iconic brands who changed their
packaging and suffered catastrophic consequences. As a result, redesigning ones package is
considered a high-risk movea Hail Mary reserved for fast-declining brands that badly need
to reboot. But what about making changes to a brand thats still thriving? Thats a different
story altogether.
By the mid 2010s, CHEEZ-IT had experienced more than 30 consecutive years of growth,
getting closer and closer to becoming a one-billion-dollar brand. Notably, CHEEZ-ITs
packaging hadnt seen any major upgrades in approximately three decades. The team would
be barking mad to even consider a packaging change now wouldnt they?
Ever since I joined the company six years ago, I knew I wanted to revamp the CHEEZ-IT line,
both strategically and visually. Its a great brand and was doing well at the time, but I thought
we could bring it into the 21st century, align the packaging more with the current consumer,
and broaden our base, recalled Lisa Einat Day, Design Leader at Kelloggs. CHEEZ-ITs core
buyers were families with children, but an updated look would potentially broaden the
brands appeal, bringing in more teenagers and adults.
THERES DEFINITELY A FEAR WITH BIG, ICONIC BRANDS

THAT IF YOU BREATHE ON THEM THE WRONG WAY, YOU
COULD BE LOSING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
LISA EINAT DAY, DESIGN LEADER AT KELLOGGS

Not surprisingly, Days desire to reinvent this iconic brand's visual and package identity was met with
strong resistance. After all, CHEEZ-IT was one of Kelloggs flagship brands, and leadership wasnt
particularly disappointed by its performance. But we can do so much more, Day had insisted.
Theres definitely a fear with big, iconic brands that if you breathe on them the wrong way, you could be
losing millions of dollars. It took about two years to convince senior leadership and the brand teams to
consider the idea seriously, Day recalled.
It wasnt just Days persistence that changed minds. The CHEEZ-IT brand had recently launched other
highly successful innovationssuch as CHEEZ-IT Grooves, which represented a fairly bold departure
from the brands traditional look. These launches helped CHEEZ-IT become a billion-dollar brand and
provided the proof-of-concept that Day needed to convince stakeholders that the entire CHEEZ-IT line
could grow through design. People looked at Grooves success and said, Wow, thats Kelloggs most
successful innovation everyes, we can trust that, recalled Day.
We learned a lot from these other launches, which helped serve as a bridge from where we were as a
brand to where we could go. Once we decided to redesign the entire brand, it was important that we
do it right; we started with a strong brand and design architecture, created a strong innovation pipeline,
updated our brand identity, and ultimately created visual brand guidelines for all channels and media to
use, said Day.
We also did a lot of consumer research up-front and throughout the process. We talked to consumers
at the shelf and organized creative workshops in multiple cities to understand what consumers were
buying, their purchase criteria, what they liked and disliked about different brandsincluding brands
that they did use at the time, as well as those they didnt. We had them express thoughts about packages
in and out of the category, and sought to understand what the CHEEZ-IT brand could and couldn't
changeboth strategically and visuallystarting with our brand identity and ultimately ending with the
package. It was also essential to understand what shoppers see when they browse the shelf, so we did
a lot of eye-tracking research before we even began the design process. Lastly, we did a deep-dive into
the category and the competitive context. Visually, whats happening in the category? What do different
colors mean to consumers? We looked at every angle, explained Day.
[THE BROAD CREATIVE EXPLORATION WE DID] SERVED

IN HELPING US TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH CHANGE WE
COULD ACTUALLY MAKE.
Day engaged her creative team to help define concrete design routes. In the beginning, we had versions
and versions, but eventually narrowed it down to eight to ten potential design directions. This project
called for broad exploration because theres always going to be risk when youre making changes to an
iconic brand, and this degree of exploration served in helping us to understand how much change we
could actually make. We also needed to understand what our competitors were doing in order to help
us better know where we could and couldn't play both strategically and visually, said Day. For example,
the CHEEZ-IT team knew they didnt want to change the red color of the box, but was this the right move

given the category context? If they kept the red, should it be the same red or a
different one?
So, all of a sudden, the red component becomes a much bigger issue.
You might have two or three designs where the shade of red is the
variable, and another set that focuses on how much food to show on
the packagedo you show a serving size or a single cracker? In other
words, the number of potential design routes increases exponentially as
the number of variants rises. When making significant design changes
to an iconic brand, all of these considerations are important and warrant
exploration.
For the food imagery, the existing design showed a large number of plain
crackers. That was very fitting for the 50s, 60s and 70sit showed abundance, and
it symbolized sharing. In todays marketplace however, given that there are so many different brand
options, we wanted to prioritize simplicity and appetite appeal. In the first moment that our consumers
look at our package we want them to be confronted with a big, yummy cracker, said
Day.
Day also wanted to bring an emotional component to the brand mark, while
leaving the brands iconic block type untouched. She convinced the brand to
replace the hyphen in CHEEZ-IT with a small cracker image, which added a
sense of friendliness and approachability. At first, the brand mark was off-
limits. Then we tested a few versions of it with consumers and found that it didnt
interfere with the overall brand feel. The research we did was particularly effective in
convincing the brand teambecause if theyre not losing anything, then they can only gain, right? said
Day.
The CHEEZ-IT Team leveraged consumer feedback to further narrow down the design options. Finally, in
2015, the new design launched. In the year following the redesign, dollar sales grew 6% compared to the
year priorwhich translates to an increase of more than $50 million in retail sales. With no increase in
media spending, the new package design served as a major growth driver.
TODAY THE MOST TIME YOU HAVE WITH CONSUMERS

AND ITS NOT MORE THAN A FEW SECONDSIS WHEN
THEYRE SHOPPING IN THE STORE.
We used to live in a world where advertising was the centerpiece, and from there you would work on
your brand design identity and packaging. However, today the most time you have with consumersand
its not more than a few secondsis when theyre shopping in the store. Its essential in todays world
to have a strong brand and design architecture that all touchpoints work from to create a holistic brand
experience for consumers. This will allow for a much stronger connection with our consumers at the first

moment of truthat the shelfand will also allow our brands to leverage different media in a stronger
way, said Day.
Reflecting back on the initiative, Day concluded: For me, the biggest learning was that if you have a
strong strategic vision, a great team, a clear path and a lot of guts, then anything can happen. I didnt
know what was possible until it was possibleI didnt really understand how much growth you can
have on a big, already-successful iconic brand until I was part of making it happen. I think others are
beginning to realize it too. At Kelloggs, other brands are coming out and saying, We want change for
sure.

HONORABLE MENTION
BLACK INK RED WINE

A mainstream makeover leads to massive growth
BEFORE AFTER
In 2014, Guarachi Wine Partners asked itself the weighty, time-honored question, Whats in a
name? An enormous growth opportunity, it would soon discover.
After 30 years in business, the company decided to make a dramatic strategic shift. We
had been known primarily for South American imported wineswe had no mass-market
domestic products at a value price pointand we knew this was a space that we wanted to
play in. We looked at our portfolio to explore different strategies and creative concepts that
would resonate with a mass-market audience. There was a brand called Black Ink: a boutique-
production, high-end Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. We looked at that intellectual property
and said, Black Ink is a cool name. Why dont we do something with that? recalled Travis
Arnesen, vice president of marketing at Guarachi Wine Partners.
At the time, Black Ink had a $40 retail price point. It was only distributed in the state of
California, primarily through independent bottle shops. Production was anywhere from 50-
100 cases per yearit was high-end, but very small in terms of overall volume and revenue,
he explained.
Guarachi Wine Partners decided that the Black Ink name would provide a promising
foundation for their foray into the mass-market, domestic wine segment. They simply needed
an updated product and a label design that would do the moniker justice.
For the product, we pulled a lot of data and looked at which segments were growing. Red
blends in the $9-12 range were experiencing an uptick in sales, so we decided that was the
place to be, said Arnesen.
The team began to develop the product and packaging in tandembut there was something
highly unusual about the arrangement; for most initiatives, the products key attributes are
pre-determined and they inform the package design but, in the case of Black Ink, the label
design strongly influenced the development of the wine itself.

The decision to choose a red blend had a lot to do with the packaging, which was being designed
with Millennials in mind. Red blends attract younger, entry-level consumers who seem to be a little
more adventurous when it comes to packaging. A lot of single-varietal wines tend to attract an older
demographic that appreciates more traditional labels. We definitely wanted a flavor profile that would
match the design and the namesomething that was dark, black, mysterious, he explained.
For the label design, the team engaged CF Napa Brand Design, an agency specializing in the beverage
alcohol category. We provided a detailed strategic outline and explained what we wanted to
communicate and evokebut we did this without limiting the creative process, and I think this made a
real difference in the effectiveness of the design, said Arnesen.
There was a thorough briefingboth in terms of what Guarachi Wine Partners provided and the
briefing process that we go through with all of our clients, recalled Dave Schuemann, creative principal
at CF Napa Brand Design. We try to get a really deep understanding of the target consumers. Its always
amazing to me how many times companies give us a target demographic that basically
includes everyone thats 21-60 years old, with a 50-50 split between men and women. While
that might be the entire group of folks that you hope will buy the wine, its important to pick
out the key groups that will really drive velocity and growth, versus focusing on everyone. I
always say that if you offend no one, you please no one, he continued.
We also drilled down into what was driving the red blend trend and what some of the
opportunities for packaging were in that space. There was certainly something that was
happening with black labels. For years, they had been viewed as overly passive and
not engaging or visible enough. All of sudden, they were communicating a kind of chic,
mysterious luxury. When you think about it, black has always been tied to luxury
think about tuxedos or limousines, for examplebut, more recently, the trend really
began taking off in the wine space, said Schuemann.
I ALWAYS SAY THAT IF YOU OFFEND NO ONE,

YOU PLEASE NO ONE.
DAVE SCHUEMANN, CREATIVE PRINCIPAL AT CF NAPA BRAND DESIGN
Overall, the team considered eight different design directions. We explored a

number of different approaches, some that utilized tattoo-style type or black
lettering. We also looked at creating some symbols. I remember that we even tied
Black Ink back to a newspaper concept in one the design concepts, so it was a pretty
broad exploration, recalled Schuemann.
Reflecting on the challenge of designing for Millennials, Schuemann said: Millennials

have a strong sense of independenceof standing out and being your own person
and that certainly plays into how they make purchasing decisions. However, theres
always this danger of overdoing it; you can become bleeding-edge rather than
cutting-edge, and quickly create something that feels so over-the-top that its in
danger of becoming a novelty or something thats harder for more sophisticated
wine drinkers to take seriously.

The final design concept conveyed the dark, mysterious, brooding quality of the wine. It featured a
black label with white lettering. Although black labels are trending, theyre not a silver bullet. Looking
at successful black labels in market, I would actually argue that the high-contrast lettering is the key
element, commented Schuemann.
We also ended up including a squid image on the top of the capits not something thats prominent or
even located on the front of the label, but its something that helps support the brand story, he added.
I cant tell you how much that squid on the top of the cap resonated with our trade partners because
it was subtle. It was just enough to look cool and interesting and tie back to the wineit played to that
mysterious side rather than being in-your-face, said Arnesen.
Overall, the package was instrumental in securing distribution. The design

was cohesive and the concept made sense. It was clearly speaking to a specific
consumer demographicone that was growing and attractive to retailers and
distributors, he continued.
In late 2014, the new Black Ink brand launched. It lined up nicely with the
Halloween holiday, and we created some point-of-sale materials that were
Halloween-drivenincluding ones that had temporary tattoos on them, so people could actually pull off
a little tattoo of the squid and put it on their hand or arm, recalled Arnesen.
Even with a limited marketing budget, Black Inks dollar sales in the year following the redesign increased
nearly thirteen-fold compared to the prior year. While the brands new mass-market strategy and
additional distribution were key drivers, the striking label design paved the way with retailers and won
over consumers at the shelfa remarkable feat for a small brand competing with dozens to hundreds of
other offerings on the typical store shelf.
OVERALL, THE PACKAGE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN

SECURING DISTRIBUTION. THE DESIGN WAS COHESIVE
AND THE CONCEPT MADE SENSE.
TRAVIS ARNESEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AT GAURACHI WINE PARTNERS
Getting Millennials to jump on board early created a lot of noise, and theres no question that older
wine consumerswhether its Gen-Xers or Boomersstill follow trends that originate from a much
younger consumer segment. Though not Black Inks primary target, we saw an overwhelming response
from female Boomers. The aspiration to be part of a younger movement really played out, said
Arnesen.
The Black Ink relaunch was considered the most successful product launch in the companys history. It
really defined who Guarachi Wine Partners will be going forward. It diversified our portfolio, introduced
us to a new consumer segment, and cemented our role as brand owners. This launch was the catalyst
for our new strategy and structure going forward, and even made our import portfolio more relevant
with our key trade partners, explained Arnesen.

When asked to reflect on what made the Black Ink relaunch different from others he had worked
on in the past, Arnesen commented: We really stayed laser-focused on what the target consumer
wanted. Often we, as marketers, forget about the end-consumer. We prioritize our short-term
business needs or what the trade is going to want. We fall into the trap of picking things based on
our own personal preferences. Staying true to the consumer is extremely important, and the results
we saw from this launch certainly confirmed that, concluded Arnesen.

To learn how Nielsen helps brands maximize their return on design, visit nielsen.com/design.
SOURCES
1
Nielsen, Packaging Sells, 2015.
2
Frozen nutritional meals data is based on a custom category definition encompassing better for you
frozen meal offerings, which often have low levels of fat and calories.
3
Ranking does not account for private label brands.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to all the entrants of the Nielsen Design Impact Award contest, our partners at The
Dieline, and The Nielsen Design Impact Award team: Allie Van Arsdale, Traci Brodnax, Catherine
Downing, Kim Gaskins, Steve Lamoureux, Jenkin Lee and Al Lemieux.
ABOUT NIELSEN
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a
comprehensive understanding of what consumers watch and buy. Nielsens Watch segment provides
media and advertising clients with Nielsen Total Audience measurement services for all devices on which
content video, audio and text is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods
manufacturers and retailers the industrys only global view of retail performance measurement. By
integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen also provides
its clients with analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations
in over 100 countries, covering more than 90% of the worlds population. For more information, visit
www.nielsen.com.

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THE NIELSEN DESIGN IMPACT AWARD CHRONICLES:

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company

THE NIELSEN DESIGN IMPACT AWARD

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 2

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 3

Lean Cuisine Marketplace

CHEEZ-IT Black Ink Red Wine

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 4

5Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 5

LEAN CUISINE MARKETPLACE

WE KNEW THAT IF WE WANTED TO MAKE A REAL

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 6

Marketplace: modern, restaurant-quality recipes made with trendy ingredients

Favorites: classic and simple dishes

Craveables: delicious bar-food made to satisfy a craving without overindulging

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 7

WE EVEN HAD RETAILERS COME TO OUR PACKAGING

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 8

I THINK THE NEW DESIGN WAS LIKELY THE NUMBER ONE

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 9

BUCHANANS SCOTCH WHISKY

To win over the up-and-coming generation of consumerswho are notoriously aspirational

WE NEEDED TO TAKE A BIGGER CHANCE, OR WE

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 10

The canteen-shaped bottle, reminiscent of

The James Buchanan seals on the sides

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 11

THE PACKAGE WAS THE CENTERPIECEAND PRACTICALLY

In the United States, the Buchanans brand

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 12

MOST OF US KNOW HOW MUCH A GREAT PACKAGE

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 13

I think the briefing is probably the most important stage of the

As the agency that worked on the project, Beardwood&Co

I REMEMBER WHICH DESIGN WAS MY FAVORITE BECAUSE

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 14

In the end, we conducted quantitative consumer research on a few

THE BRANDS INCREMENTAL SALES FOLLOWING THE

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 15

CALIFORNIA OLIVE RANCH

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 16

THIS SEEMED LIKE A PERFECT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 17

The team also focused on strengthening the California equity of the

Next, the agency developed a visual language to differentiate flavor

THESE DESIGN DECISIONS AFFECT WHAT CONSUMERS

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 18

IN THE ABSENCE OF MASS MARKETING MUSCLE,

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 19

PERDUE SHORT CUTS

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 20

OUR YEAR-OVER-YEAR DOLLAR SALES INCREASED BY 20%.

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 21

THERES DEFINITELY A FEAR WITH BIG, ICONIC BRANDS

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 22

[THE BROAD CREATIVE EXPLORATION WE DID] SERVED

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 23

TODAY THE MOST TIME YOU HAVE WITH CONSUMERS

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 24

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 25

BLACK INK RED WINE

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company 26

I ALWAYS SAY THAT IF YOU OFFEND NO ONE,