Entertaining cross-linked potato chips
Weilong Food is a well known producer of biscuits with over 25 years of experience in the Chinese market. The aim of the company was to target younger generations with a brand new product. When choosing the product, Weilong Food opted for potato chips and glba-Shanghai was chosen as the agency responsible for concept and packaging.
The starting point for the work of glba-Shanghai (alias Flamesun Brand Design) was the entertainment industry in general and the great popularity of well-known series and celebrities in particular. Their work and appearance is followed with great enthusiasm by young Chinese people across all channels. The target group is interested in everything their idols say and do, how they live, how they behave and what they think. People like to buy everything that has to do with the stars.
Based on this idea, glba-Shanghai created the concept for the potato chip brand “Our Idols”. Creative and attention-grabbing images of the media stars ensure high recognition and lasting impact in the consumers’ minds. In addition to the star portraits, the packs are differentiated by different colours, which stand for different flavours.
In addition to the pack, glba-Shanghai also developed an augment reality game for “Our Idols”. The underlying idea: Particularly in the era of the Internet and social media, it is no longer sufficient to rely solely on taste and visual design to convey the product experience. In particular, where the market for snacks in China is already characterized by an oversupply of producers and brands. Especially new brands are confronted with big challenges.
As a brand agency, you have to develop highly creative solutions in order to attract the attention of consumers. glba-Shanghai saw the most promising way in an interactive charging of the product and the entertaining networking of product and consumer.
The consumer starts the game in Pokémon style by scanning a QR code on the packaging. While the real chips are eaten and virtual chips are hunted and captured in the game, consumers can also obtain background information on the product ingredients. They can also share their game results with friends via social media. A special highlight is the integrated voting system, which allows consumers to vote for their personal favorite star. The more votes an idol receives, the more often he/she appears on new “Our-Idol” packaging. For fans, this is a great incentive for commitment, which in turn creates great product and brand loyalty.
The “Our Idols” potato chips were launched in mid-2017. Only three months after market entry, the new brand had established itself successfully. Sales in the first six months after market entry amounted to the equivalent of more than 10 million euros.
Agency: glba-Shanghai (of Flamesun Brand Design)
Responsible: Du Xiaodong, Founder and CEO
Customer/Brand: Weilong Food / Our Idols
Du Xiaodong has more than 20 years of experience in brand and packaging design. In addition to his role as founder and CEO of Flamesun Brand Design, Du Xiaodong is Deputy Director of the Jiangxi Institute of Fine Arts and the Senior Consultant of New Food Magazine in China. Du Xiaodong regularly conducts personal scouting to the food market at home and abroad. His credo: “We have to grow up within the industry, but we must never get too old for it. Under his leadership, Flamesun Brand Design has become one of the most renowned and successful packaging design agencies in China.
Flamesun Brand Design was founded in 1995. The agency’s main field of activity is brand and packaging design for the food industry. One of the agency’s dogmas is that all successes in marketing can only be achieved through a relationship with people. That is why the consumer is always the focus of attention. The agency’s motto: Doing the most valuable thing from a friendly heart.
The Global Local Branding Alliance (glba) is a worldwide network of leading packaging and brand agencies. The network was initiated in 2013 by the Berlin agency Berndt+Partner and has partners in Shanghai, New York, São Paulo, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Moscow and Berlin.