Have you ever wondered what makes something a legacy brand? A legacy brand is usually defined as one that’s really well-known, been around a long time and has visible signs of success. Over the years, we’ve been lucky enough to be involved with some fantastic food and drink companies, helping make their brand stand out above the rest and paving the way for legacy brand status. We’ve also taken the time to delve into other legacy brand food campaigns, gaining inspiration and seeing what works.
So take a look at our latest blog – looking at the key ingredients behind our top 4 legacy food campaigns, including two of our own – and be inspired!
KFC 
Even if you’re not a fan of the Colonel and his secret chicken recipe, you’ll probably know that KFC is known for being ‘finger lickin’ good’, earning its status as a top legacy brand in the world of fast food. Yet, the recent pandemic almost put a halt to their world famous logo, although they did use it in a way, putting a humorous spin on it in their 2020 branding by blurring out the ‘finger lickin’ logo from its bucket of chicken and instead ending on the line: ‘That thing we always say? Ignore it. For now.’
KFC then began their legacy brand revival after the end of the first lockdown by announcing they were ‘back’, and in 2021, their ‘finger lickin’ good’ tagline was at the forefront of their ads once more.
KFC’s Key Ingredient
The key ingredient that food business can take away from KFC’s brand legacy status is that reinforcing your brand’s strapline can drive brand salience, ensuring customers return, warm in the knowledge that they’re coming back to something they know and love.
You can also take a look at our blog on KFC, which offers a great insight into the marketing of KFC and how that creates such a strong brand legacy.
Simpsons Fish and Chips
Simpsons Fish and Chips epitomises legacy branding that takes its offering one step further by showing off its quirky personality across a multitude of marketing channels, whilst still displaying its homage to the tradition of fish and chips. To do this, the brand needed expression, impact and a marketing approach that was different to other, more traditional fish and chip branding.
Long live fish and chips
Starting with their ethos of ‘Long live fish and chips’ to reflect their solid commitment and grounding in producing great tasting food steeped in tradition, we then added a modern touch with the look and feel.
Confidently quirky
From the unique tattoo illustration style of mermaids and sailors to the strong typographic logo, crest symbol, and packaging, right through to the kids characters and out-of-the-box social posting – such as battered creme eggs or black batter for Halloween, we created a unique expression for Simpsons. That, along with their consistent style and tone of voice, reflects the personality of the business, resonating with the target market in Cheltenham, Stroud and across the UK.
Simpsons’ Key Ingredient
The key ingredient that food business can take away from Simpsons’ brand legacy status is that having the confidence to display knock-out branding and shouting out about your years of experience, knowledge and expertise is great for brand trust.
You can also take a look at our blog on Simpsons, which offers a great insight into our approach when it came to marketing Simpsons, and how that created such a strong brand legacy.
Guinness
Guinness is a hugely iconic brand that can truly lay claim to brand legacy. Their brilliant, post-Covid comeback ad: #LooksLikeGuiness features a series of black and white images set against a heartfelt rendition of the classic ballad Always On My Mind. The notion being that fans of the brand are missing the iconic black pint so much, they’re seeing them everywhere!
Old slogan, new meaning
The way the ad ends plays to their brand legacy status too: a group of friends sharing pints of Guinness together with the iconic Guinness slogan saying: ‘good things come to those who wait’. But it doesn’t end there: Guinness’ £30M pledge to support UK hospitality and pub businesses also helped increase their brand legacy, showing them as leaders in the drinks industry.
Guinness’ key ingredient
The key ingredient that food business can take away from Guinness’ brand legacy status is that maintaining brand reputation through confidently reinforcing customer loyalty works.
Larder
It’s not just big, multinational businesses who can lay claim to brand legacy status, small, local, independent businesses can too!
Relaxed, fine dining in Lichfield
Located in the heart of Lichfield, Larder is well known for offering a wonderfully relaxed fine dining experience to its customers. Post-pandemic, we helped them utilise their local brand legacy status by refreshing their brand and branching out by offering outdoor dining and takeaway orders; both of which proved to be a big success, allowing customers to experience their favourite food again.
Learn more about how we helped Larder redefine their marketing in our case study.
Larder’s key ingredient
The key ingredient that food business can take away from Larder’s brand legacy status is that it’s crucial to adapt to the current external environment and benefit from building and sustaining engagement over the entire customer journey.
Image Sources: 1) https://pngimg.com/image/82056 2) https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/ipo/sapphire-foods-ipo-kfc-operator-sets-price-band-of-rs-1120-1180-a-share-7667461.html 3) https://www.meanwhileinireland.com/new-guinness-ad-has-made-us-so-excited-for-pubs-reopening/ 4) https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/05/13/ad-the-day-guinness-welcomes-us-all-back-the-pub-finally 5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinness
Ready to get on with creating your very own brand legacy and improve your own brand loyalty with an impactful food marketing campaign? We’d love to hear from you and have a chat about how we can help you do this!
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