Background

Like many FMCG brands, Sirena is facing the “curse of commoditization”. With competitors resorting to more frequent and deep price promotions, shoppers are starting to see brands as more interchangeable, based on whoever happens to be on special at the time. The brief was simple. Demonstrate that Sirena is worth every penny and elevate the brand above the constant ‘war on price’. Budget: $70k for a suite of assets to be used across a national outdoor and online buy, for 24months +

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

Sirena tuna is an Australian owned brand steeped in Italian heritage. They don’t compromise on quality be it for taste or the sustainable sourcing of tuna. This campaign exudes quality and a premium feel, denoting the experience you’ll have when you buy the product. A far cry from how competitors advertise canned tuna. Our audience are supermarket grocery buyers, with a heavy skew towards females 25-55years old who increasingly saw tuna brands as interchangeable, depending on price. To combat the constant discounting between brands, we created a beautiful campaign which exudes a sense of timelessness, brand heritage, premium quality and Italian allure. There’s even a subtle hint of the sea throughout each execution, drawing back to the brand’s roots. All done with a distinctive identity that is unmistakably Sirena. Firmly establishing them as the leading premium tuna brand in Australia.

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

In a sea of sameness, Sirena stands out. There’re multiple design elements at play which harmoniously complement one another. The frame in which talent were captured was a key element, with little room for error. Each photograph was carefully set up to not only accommodate the Sirena can and Italian tag but also be resized across 120 different poster formats. The Sirena can forms part of the aesthetic, it’s not treated as an afterthought. We unashamedly showcased the bold and iconic pack, anchoring left of frame – simple and effective. The subtle use of Italian expressions emphasises the brand’s Italian heritage whilst adding taste cues – ‘buonissimo = very good’. The casting and performance were purposeful. Life’s too short for cheap tuna and we wanted our talent to express this. Live a little and embrace life – the sentiment consumers carried to point of sale when choosing a tuna brand.

List the results (20% of vote)

The results are actually quite remarkable. What most FMCG brands would see as a weakness, a high price point, Sirena leant into and as a result, grew. The dollar value of sales grew by 12.6% (total Sirena MAT to 27 DEC 2020). Without the need to discount as frequently, Sirena was able to increase their average price per unit by 7.6%, whilst also growing market share by 3.6%. During a year when consumers were more price savvy and guarded with how they spent, Sirena was able to charge more and sell more. Not bad for a mature brand in a mature market. So loved by retailers, the distinctive work has even been hailed as ‘best practice’ by Australia’s leading supermarket chain.