Wren & Rowe packs Spice & Co

Wren & Rowe has created naming, identity and packaging for Spice & Co, a ten-strong range of frozen chicken products from food manufacturing giant Grampian Country Food Group. The range launches across Europe this month.

The project is worth a six-figure fee to Wren & Rowe and comprises a significant cross-European research phase, marketing collateral, a website, and consumer and trade material. The consultancy was appointed in March 2004 without a pitch, on the basis of recommendation.

Spice & Co targets young, urban households in major cities across Europe, according to Wren & Rowe managing director Paul Foulkes-Arellano.

The consultancy’s research highlighted ‘unexpectedly consistent’ attitudes to life and food across the Continent.

‘It was surprisingly homogenous,’ says Foulkes-Arellano.

‘Urban people from Lisbon to Amsterdam have similar lifestyles and want the same thing. Everyone is time-short and wants real food that can be quickly prepared,’ he explains. The products’ ‘casual socialising’ positioning capitalises on the growing pan-European trend for informal eating occasions, he adds. According to Foulkes-Arellano, the range is a departure for the frozen food sector, with its bright packaging and younger, aspirational styling.

Copy plays an important role and the group has introduced a more ‘in your face, non-English’ tone of voice – adopting lines such as ‘passion is contagious’ in the Spanish market, says Foulkes-Arellano.

The initial launch across Spain, Portugal, Italy, Holland, France, Germany and Belgium is likely to be followed by a roll-out across Scandinavia and Eastern Europe later this year. A UK roll-out is not planned at this stage.