Contagion relaunches Kiwi food icon

Creative/Media agency Contagion have relaunched an iconically Kiwi brand of sausage roll across national TV, outdoor, digital, and in-store campaign.

Best known as ‘the ones with Alison Holst on them’, the Richmond Foods sausage rolls are a classic Kiwi treat and have been around for multiple generations since the 1970s.

With instantly recognisable packaging featuring Alison Holst for years, there came a dilemma when the time came to update the packaging. How to communicate the product without their celebrity association and rather 70s packaging?

Founder of Contagion, Dean Taylor, says some products are “just part of the backdrop of our lives”.

“These sausage rolls are the staple of kids’ parties, a plate to the BBQ, school, kindy and the morning tea at work. It’s always the first plate to be empty at an event. If we think about it, we have all been to a ‘welcome to work’ or ‘leaving do’ to the taste of these sausage rolls accompanied by tomato sauce. It’s a social bonding that has been taking place throughout the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s and right now. It’s a comfort food we grew up with that made us always feel welcome. The truth is that they mean so much and we had to respect this with the campaign we created, whilst moving forward.”

The new campaign shows what these sausage rolls mean in our lives whilst saying a fond farewell to the old packaging and showing the new, more environmentally friendly, look. 

Oliver Maisey, Executive Creative Director for the campaign says everyone has food nostalgia of some form.

“And these are the sausage rolls everyone grew up with. Changing the packaging broke the nostalgic link people had with them, so all we needed to remind people was they’re the same as ever; the only thing that’s changed is the packaging.”

Rebecca Lloyd, GM of Contagion Media, says that as this product holds a special place in Kiwis hearts the video-led strategy tapped into an emotive message.

“Outdoor and in-store activity will signpost shoppers to the product in the chiller and get these sausage rolls onto the table at celebrations.”

The campaign launched this week.

Client:                       Richmond Foods Ltd

Creative:                  Contagion

Media:                      Contagion Media

Production:            Truman Films