#NewBrandMonday: 1 February

Here are this week's selection of newly launched brands from around the world. For more from #NewBrandMonday, follow @Transformsays on Twitter.

Casse Cou Chocolate

To coincide with Valentine’s Day, Matthew Kenney Cuisine, an integrated, California-based lifestyle company that provides high quality products in the culinary and wellness market, launched a boutique line of artisanal chocolates, Casse-Cou Chocolaterie. Created in collaboration with chef Sebastian Brecht, Casse-Cou is a New York City based chocolaterie featuring an array of artisanal innovative chocolates accented with botanical ingredients and bold flavours made with sustainable grown and organic ingredients. The range of chocolates include ganaches, pralines, truffles, bars and individually crafted chocolate boxes. Casse-Cou presents an exciting opportunity for the MKC team to continue exploring confection without the use of animal products and to redefine what it means to enjoy chocolate by taking it on to a new level, on par with the finest wines and cuisine.Casse-cou, the French word for daredevil, embodies the chocolate’s bold flavours that are 100% plant-based yet still appeal to all chocolate-lovers. In addition to the store, the brand also has an e-commerce that ships nationwide.

VFC

New vegan chicken provider, Vegan Fried Chick*n (VFC), worked with digital agency Engage to deliver a new website and e-commerce store to support the brand launch and deliver sales. The website enables VFC to manage and ship orders to customers and reflects the brand’s mission: an act of positive rebellion against an unjust system that has contributed to environmental destruction and factory farming. Achieving a strong digital presence was crucial for a risk free launch and for the startup to leave a lasting impression. The goal was to create something bold, vibrant and provocative that wasn’t ’just another online shop’ but that would engage customers in the brand’s story and help drive loyalty. Using Shopify’s e-commerce engine enabled Engage to utilise its array of features and benefits, including discount vouchers, while also integrating with DPD for the important fulfilment. The product pages combine custom designs with an integration to Shopify’s basket solution, allowing the agency to focus on optimising templates for the best conversion. The website also includes animation and interactive elements that explore VFC’s edgier side, like the ‘Chicken saved’ counter on the homepage and the chicken’s feet that animate as the users scrolls the homepage.

 “As a brand new startup it was crucial that we launched with a bang, and the website that Engage has delivered has enabled us to do just that. Although we believe in our products and our mission, it’s been astounding to see the level of orders being placed and the success we’ve already achieved,” says Matthew Glover, co-founder of VFC.

Altano Rewilding edition

Symington Family Estates has partnered with Rewilding Portugal, a non-profit organisation pioneering a conservation strategy on a 120.000 hectare wildlife corridor in northern Portugal, to launch Altano Rewilding Edition wine. The red wine, a classic Duoro blend, will contribute financial support to Rewilding Portugal’s efforts to protect and restore natural landscapes in the countries interior. Design agency Volta Studio was commissioned to design the Altano label with a punchy, colourful and joyful image that celebrated Symington+Rewilding partnership and helped showcase the uniqueness fo the local wildlife. To do so, a fluid and dynamic illustration was created that shows the natural movement and imposing beauty of six of the Duoro region’s iconic wild species: elusive Iberian lynx, mystical Iberian wolf, indigenous horse Sorraia, imposing red deer, majestic imperial eagle and enigmatic Britano vulture. The wine is packaged in a bag-in-tube containing the equivalent of three bottles, a format that is easily recyclable, has a much lower carbon footprint than the equivalent volume in glass and ca be enjoyed for 4-6 weeks once opened.

“We’re really excited about this wine, which is a fantastic and accessible showcase of a Douro red and combines an innovative new format with an interesting story and an opportunity for people to contribute to a positive cause,” says Rob Symington, director of the Symington Family Estates