Fiordland Gold
Built a honey brand that is defined by its place of origin, from one of the most untouched places on the planet.
Project Information:
Client: Fiordland Honey Co.
Industry: Consumer Products, Food & Beverage Innovation
Services: Building Brands & Storytelling
Developed concept territories.
Constructed a brand and guidelines.
Created a printer-approved label and packaging system.
Spectacular Fiordland, in the south-western corner of the South Island, is the largest of all national parks in New Zealand. It is famous for its beauty and the finest wilderness honey. It's a story made in heaven. We call it Fiordland Gold because it is harvested with great care from one of the most remote places that time left behind.
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Overview
Spectacular Fiordland, in the south-western corner of the South Island, is the largest of all national parks in New Zealand. It is famous for its beauty and the finest wilderness honey. It's a story made in heaven. We call it Fiordland Gold because it is harvested with great care from one of the most remote places that time left behind.
Frame
It was a shipping label that started it all. As we were working one day, we received a tiny delivery with a Fiordland address written on it. "Honey, from Fiordland," one of us said. Fiordland. One of the most beautiful wilderness areas. A UNESCO World Heritage site. What better place is there to grow a brand from?
Following this initial observation, it was clear that there was a unique opportunity. We wanted to develop a brand for Southland honey that embodied everything about this special place. Including the family legacy left by the first beekeepers in Southland, the generations who followed those early pioneers of apiculture in New Zealand, as well as the deep care and responsibility taken for the bees and the natural environment. We wanted to created a brand that leaves an impression, just like this little corner of the world.
Our Approach
Building a strong foundation is the first step in creating a new brand or product. The first step in this project was to frame the key goals, purpose, values and reasons to believe. Developing the brand strategy helped inform the key emotive components, which would be used to establish DNA of the brand.
Brand positioning is defined as the territory you occupy in your customers' minds relative to their belief that you are the best option to meet their needs. How could we address the customers' desired outcomes in a way that no one else could? We mapped out the product system and defined the core unifying brand idea. We studied the family story, their hive numbers, the landscape, and the honey. We explored why it exists, what makes it so unique, and what fuels the family to produce some of the best honey in the world.
Once the brand position had been defined, we moved onto brand identity design. We knew that both New Zealanders and visitors identify with Fiordland. The question was, how do we embody this origin story into an apiaries company?
One thing that touches you when visiting Fiordland is the light and colors of the place, it’s so unique, almost mystical. Then there are the mountains. Fiordland has 884 named mountains. And as a whole, Fiordland presents deep opportunities for historical inspiration. These qualities became central themes in the exploration process when creating the brand and communication systems.
Outcome
Fiordland Apiaries Honey Co is a unique single-source honey brand that originated from humble beginnings 65 years ago. The brand represents a place where nature flourishes, and harvesting honey requires great care and patience. It is simple, clean, bold, untouched, and wild. Fiordland is an exclusive wilderness honey brand with a growing reputation. If you would like to learn more, please get in touch.
“Virtuo opened our eyes to the power of our story, and built a beautiful brand for our honey that is clearly unique and as impressive as where we go to work each day. We thoroughly enjoyed the process and their team is world-class.”
— Chris Fraser - Fiordland Apiaries Honey Co
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