Anthem | FIT | Mayr-Melnhof | Paragraph | Webb Scarlett

Anthem Worldwide, San Francisco, Calif.

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In describing what the Anthem Worldwide design team looked to accomplish through its redesign of Bilinski's line of meat products, Anthem's chief creative officer, Ron Vandenberg, says, "We needed an identity that would span different values, different purchasing channels, and a differing consumer needs." "That's the cornerstone of our strategy," added Chris Plewes, managing director and senior creative director. "It's a very complex product line for such a small product offering."

To assimilate, yet also distinguish the variety of products, the Anthem team directed its energy towards clarifying a common "value system" that both lines of products could share, says Plewes. These two product distinctions are described by the design team as "time-honored, European, and old-world" and "contemporary and all-natural." Together, the combination of brand elements adds up to a sense of trust in the entire line. "Interestingly enough, ‘wholesomeness' is the common core value," adds Plewes.

In order to market successfully to two major categories of consumers — traditional shoppers drawn to Bilinski's bacon and franks purchased in supermarkets, and those buyers with a contemporary bent toward leaner "gourmet" chicken sausage bought over the Internet—the team created one brand identity with sub-branding to identify specific categories.

Additionally, certain design elements were added to embellish the product lines' "sense of craftsmanship and wholesomeness." The string and wrapped paper motifs highlight the idea that there's care and integrity behind the products. We wanted to illustrate these themes without creating polarizing distinctions between the major product categories to encourage cross-over buying," says Vandenberg.