Interview with Olaf Van Gerwen – Creative Director and brand

Van Gerwen claims there is a prevailing issue within the food industry, stating, “There is so much sameness in the depiction of foods, there are very strong trends, and there are very dominant category traditions.” In response to this, van Gerwen and his company endeavour to tackle the problem by developing unique culinary identities. He explained, “A culinary identity is a strategy that dictates choices in food depiction. So, we make choices in food depiction that steer you, first of all, in the direction of consistency, but second of all, to be distinctive. Your brand has to be recognisable and it has to be meaningful.”

Packaging, according to van Gerwen, assumes a pivotal role in establishing a distinct brand. He said, “Packaging can be part of the food depiction. Clearly, if your pack design is distinctive, you will definitely use it in advertising and to achieve differentiation.” He underlined the significance of iconic packaging, using the glass Coca-Cola bottle as an example, “The bottle has become so iconic that it is a brand asset. The shape and the texture and the way it feels is very distinctive.”

Van Gerwen continued to discuss the triumph of brands like Arla, who has created a brand from ‘Lurpak’, highlighting their innovative marketing campaigns, “Lurpak is, in fact, a generic name for a variant of the butter-making process, but they have made a brand from it. It’s the best example of adding value through marketing. They do great promotions. They use bold typography that’s very recognisable and the consistent blue and silver brand colours are also key.”