Chicken of the Sea rebranded for first time in 20 years

The ethically sourced seafood brand sought the help of New York-based branding agency Little Big Brands in an attempt to bring about ‘modern relevance’. The agency’s work oversaw the creation of a new brand strategy, design, packaging work and creative launch campaign.

The rebranding of Chicken of the Sea – its first complete overhaul in over two decades – involved the updating of Catalina, the brand’s iconic mermaid. As well as modernising the illustration style, Little Big Brands moved the mermaid away from the centre of the logo so the wordmark can be stacked and scaled in size. Acting as a standalone character, the hope is that Catalina, who is a leader and change agent for good, can now create greater brand visibility.

John Nunziato, chief creative officer at Little Big Brands, says, “We were committed to respectfully evolving Chicken of the Sea; retaining the historical significance while helping them gain modern relevance. One of the key pieces of this was helping Catalina embody a stronger, more empowered female persona.”

The entire brand strategy was rooted in Chicken of the Sea’s offer to consumers of eating healthy and living happy, as represented by the campaign’s tagline, ‘Wild-Caught Happiness’.

Elsewhere, particular attention was paid creating shelf stand-out. Moving away from a ‘dated’ gradient burst, the agency opted for a sea-relevant white clamshell. Brand communication now focuses on key claims like ‘wild-caught’ to show off the freshness and relevance.

“This is an exciting time for our iconic Chicken of the Sea brand. We were committed to evolving the brand in a way that was relevant and genuine, and were fortunate to find dedicated and inspired partners in Little Big Brands. Our collaboration has been a team effort like no other,” says Andy Mecs, executive vice president, commercial, at Chicken of the Sea International.