Create Your First Project
Start adding your projects to your portfolio. Click on "Manage Projects" to get started
Sara Lee Foods: Taking Meat from Processed to Premium
Project type
Copywriting + Brand Development
Collaborators
IDEO team: Joe Graceffa (PL), Paul Bennett (Guide), Nick Dupey, Jin Ko, Chris Meirling, Melissa Dalrymple, Ross Lockwood, Scottie Gambil, Zach Hobbs, Sara Frisk, Mary Foyder, Elaine Fong, Matt Stiffler, Matt Brown, Jerry O'Leary, David Stychno, Aggie Toppins, and Johnny Sampson
Location
IDEO Chicago
Date
2011
Early in 2011, Forbes Magazine released their list of “10 Companies Most Likely To Disappear this Year.” Sara Lee Foods landed at #3. In defiance of the bleak opinion, a new Sara Lee chairman partnered with IDEO to guide the transformation of the processed foods giant into a premium meats company.
Over a 5-month period, my IDEO team produced a brand portfolio vision that included refreshes to the company’s three major brands (Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, and Jimmy Dean) along with the creation of 9 new discrete brands.
Collaborating with 30 members of Sara Lee's future leadership, the portfolio of brands spanned a range of business sizes and revenue targets from large (1 billion), to medium (500 million), to small (50-250 million) — creating a healthy, intelligent portfolio integral to securing future shareholder confidence and investment.
A few of the future offerings we designed included these new brands:
+ Smith & Smith — an ultra-premium charcuterie selection
+ Flat Iron Ranch — fresh, tender meats from locally raised, hormone-free chickens, pigs, and cows
+ Mallet & Bone — whole muscle beef jerky brand with a punky, badass aesthetic
+ 4 Corners — a collection of favorite, local, meat-based dishes curated from around the world
+ Nothing But — a chilled, whole muscle, “untainted” chicken, pork, or beef snack
My part on the team was senior copywriter. I wrote video scripts, crafted advertising slogans, spitballed brand names and taglines, and drafted inspirational product packaging copy.
Let's just say it was a "meaty" assignment.
