I don’t think that there is a single South African who doesn’t have a soft spot for Oros. The brand has played a pivotal role in all of our childhoods and remains firmly entrenched with South Africans of all ages.
Heritage brands like Oros are tricky to upgrade, in that one needs to walk a fine line between familiarity and progression. Stray too far, and one risks ostracizing loyal consumers; but not pushing far enough leaves them wanting.
The Just Design Jhb team saw this brief as an opportunity to stretch their creative muscles – pushing the execution into the realm of retro-futurism. One of the top trends for 2020, retro-futurism allows for the nostalgic elements of a brand to live hand in hand with futuristic aspects, creating feelings of anticipation in the progression of these elements.
The key driver for this upgrade came out of the need to increase the brand’s street cred through their ready-to-drink offering, allowing Oros to appeal to a teenage / young adult audience. This type of audience craves ‘newness’ and excitement, and the traditional brand elements really needed to be pushed in order to drive that appeal and shift brand perception from kids / families to something a little ‘cooler’.
The resulting execution uses abstract pattern-like ‘fruit’ to reinforce the flavour cues. Each variant demonstrates a unique pattern, in bright colours, and contrasted on a dark navy background. Oros feels rejuvenated and on-trend and certainly a step away from a more kid-like perception.
This particular design route was our ‘wild card’ of the presentation. It was put into consumer research (with both users and non-users) and it came out tops. This just goes to show that often, we as creatives and marketers, underestimate our consumers’ appetite for progressive design solutions. We need to keep pushing the envelope, and testing the results, so that we can remain not only relevant, but on-trend.
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About Just Design
For over 20 years, Just Design has proven time and again that good thinking leads to great creative. With a national footprint and accounts across Africa, Middle East and Europe, they are the strategic design and innovation partners for many blue-chip clients and global brands, and are one of South Africa’s leading Innovation, Strategy and Design agencies.
About Oros
Oros concentrates have been around since 1899. The range consists out of concentrate squashes, powders and ready-to-drink formats, in various flavours and is available from retailers nationwide. For more information visit: www.oros.co.za
On behalf of: Just Design
For further information, please contact:
Vanessa Bosman
vanessa@justdesign.co.za
+27 (0) 11 234 4249
