Deep in the heart of cranberry country, Ocean Spray has long stood as a testament to cooperative farming, though this rich heritage remained largely unknown to European consumers. As a farmer-owned cooperative paying fair living wages and embracing sustainable farming methods, Ocean Spray’s story was one worth telling. The challenge lay in translating this authentic American farming narrative into something that would resonate with modern European consumers while introducing an innovative new product to the market.

Understanding the Challenge

The new product itself was born from a beautiful understanding of nature’s rhythms. By blending pink, red, and white cranberries of varying ripeness, Ocean Spray had created a naturally sweeter juice that solved multiple challenges at once. It eliminated waste by using cranberries at different stages of ripeness, while creating a more palatable taste profile that could appeal to entire families. However, the European market held fixed perceptions of cranberry juice – it was either a health remedy for UTIs, a Christmas staple, or a cocktail mixer. The tart taste was polarizing, creating what many considered a “Marmite moment” in terms of consumer preference.

A Fresh Perspective

Understanding our audience was crucial. While the primary consumer remained the family shopper, we needed to broaden the appeal to include the entire family. This required careful consideration of the brand architecture. Ocean Spray’s brand carried significant weight as a mark of authenticity and expertise, but research indicated that a sub-brand strategy, endorsed by Ocean Spray, would best signal the new proposition to consumers.

Finding Inspiration in Nature

Our breakthrough came from observing nature itself. The unique harvesting process, where cranberry fields are submerged underwater, created a mesmerizing scene of berries tumbling and swirling in the flood. This natural phenomenon became our creative inspiration for both the sub brand ‘juicy logo’ and the design approach – a perfect balance of refreshment and naturally good taste. We created a disruptively diagonal pack architecture that broke from category norms while telling the story of the harvest and maintaining the family feel of multiple juicy berries on pack. It strategically needed to look like part of the family but with a refreshingly different flavour profile.

Bringing the idea to life

The design gave the brand room to breathe by incorporating a white circular element that conveyed purity and health while creating space for the sub brand name. At the base of the pack, we showcased juicy berries, balanced with dynamic splashes suggesting refreshment. This visual story spoke to the perfect blend created by Mother Nature – uncomplicated and naturally sweetened by the sun.

Telling a new story

The project became about more than just launching a new product; it was about sharing the story of a cooperative that worked in harmony with nature. The varying colours of the cranberries weren’t seen as imperfections but as part of nature’s perfect plan, using the whole harvest not just the ‘ripest’ red berries. This approach celebrated the farmers’ wisdom in using every berry and working with natural processes rather than against them.

The final design solution bridged heritage and innovation, tradition and modernity. It respected the cooperative’s roots while reaching toward the future, proving that agricultural wisdom could be made relevant to contemporary audiences. Most importantly, it showed how sustainable farming practices and community-based agriculture could be made appealing to modern consumers without losing authenticity.

The success of this project demonstrated that when we let nature guide the storytelling, we can create meaningful connections with consumers while staying true to the brand values. Ocean Spray’s blend of pink, red, and white cranberries became more than just a product innovation – working in balance with nature’s rhythms can create something extraordinary, both in terms of taste and sustainability.