Victorinox Swiss Army (VSA) manufactures functional, practical, high-quality cutlery for a market that ranges from home cooks to professional chefs. Inspired by the ingenuity of the original Swiss Army Knife, its current products reflect VSA’s time-tested core values: utility, dependability and craftsmanship.
Victorinox Swiss Army
Objectives
Our goal was to boost consumer awareness so that purchasers—particularly the critical 18- to 34-year-old age group—will intentionally seek out the VSA brand, and develop marketing materials that align with the brand’s niche: simple, superlatively engineered tools, each designed for a specific purpose.
Solution
Elements completed an in-depth audit of VSA’s major competitors, focusing on factors such as product offerings, retail partners, brand promise, social media presence and endorsements. We visited stores, interviewed professional chefs and food bloggers, and even observed a professional chef using VSA knives. Building on this research, we designed sleek, modern packaging whose quality projects the integrity and quality of VSA cutlery—and also the cool vibe that appeals to a younger demographic. Elements developed a comprehensive messaging and copy guidelines document including positioning, mission / vision, tone and voice, sample copy and more, to inform all of the cutlery division’s communications. For VSA’s use at tradeshows, we designed a branded space.
Results
Our updated packaging design eliminated the structural problems of the former packaging, focused consumers on the benefits of the knives, and clearly identified the brand, and it was well-received by buyers at the 2013 International Home and Housewares Show. Since March 2013, store displays of VSA’s Rosewood and Classic lines have featured the new packaging to positive effect. The marketing team reports frequent usage of the messaging and copy guidelines to create consistent and compelling communications across a broad range of deliverables.
