Pack of the Month: Unified Brands Redesigns A New Zealand Favorite

Wattie’s Tomato Sauce is the Heinz Ketchup of New Zealand. Of course, they’re also owned by Heinz (since 1992, actually), and while both products are beloved in their country of origin, they share very little in common—aesthetically speaking—aside from their celebration of all things tomato red.

But because they’re a heritage brand in the land of hobbits, there’s a lot more at stake when you begin to tinker with a country’s condiment of choice. You probably can’t imagine someone taking a scalpel to, say, Huy Fong’s Sriracha or Grey Poupon. So it was no easy task for New Zealand and Australian agency Unified Brands when the sauce slingers asked them to revitalize the brand for a younger audience.

We spoke with the team at Unified Brands about the impetus behind their brand refresh for Wattie’s and how they approached remaking a staple of New Zealand households.