Hello Sunshine

Did you know that one in every three chips in the world is McCain? It’s no wonder they’ve been crowned the king of the frozen aisle.

Having invented the frozen chip, the brand enjoyed a solid stint of steady growth. But a shift in cultural attitudes and eating habits meant both McCain and the category slumped into decline.

Manifesting itself as a mass manufacturer of fast food, it was time to shift gears and create new meaning. Evolving the brand beyond just product, to pave a way for not only growth, but innovation.

Despite their negative rep, chips were rooted in family enjoyment. So, we set out to bring back joy to mealtimes.

Shifting the narrative from guilt (think frozen and processed) to warmth. Introducing the rising sun, birds and field allowed the brand to tap into cues of naturalness and homegrown. The McCain wordmark was retained yet evolved to feel fresher, allowing reappraisal amongst new consumers without the risk of losing existing loyalists.

We injected another big dose of joy into the brand by using occasion vs. function for segmenting the range, opening the brand up for cross purchase. The uplifting identity and range strategy also allowed McCain to move beyond chips and command a premium. From shaking things up in the fridge aisle with Shake Shake Fries, to going completely nude with their Naked Oven Chips, the brand has been able to play (and lead) in new spaces.