South Africa produces some of the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) in the world. In 2013, a free, annual booklet was conceived as a means to promote locally produced oils to consumers and culinary professionals as the first and best choice for reasons of health, quality, taste and variety.
The guide had become well established over four years but the brand needed to be rejuvenated, including the online presence - a channel with huge potential that had not yet been developed. A shorter name for quick identification online and in social media was also required.
STRATEGY:
We started with the basics: research & strategy. Following an in-depth look at the EVOO market in SA and the world, which gave us an idea of the context and scope of the guide (the playing field), we created a Brand Strategy to set the foundations and lead the way forward.
CREATIVE DIRECTION & DESIGN:
We then set about re-designing the booklet to give it more energy and personality. As a guide, we wanted the information to be visually accessible and appealing. I created a style guide of colours, fonts, icons and other design resources, to equip and direct our layout artist. For production, we selected an uncoated paper-stock to give it a more earthy, rustic feel, in line with the culture of EVOO. With an increased page count, we decided on square back binding. All of these choices resulted in an attractive, high-quality booklet that felt quite substantial considering it was free. Click here for a pdf version.
The name "The Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oil in South Africa" certainly is descriptive, but it's not ideal as a web address. After careful consideration, we decided on the name EVOOSA, an acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil South Africa, to stand in as a brand name and web address. We felt that the name had authority and a nice African ring to it. Another virtue of the name was that the .co.za and .com domains were available (in a day and age when it seems that every conceivable phrase is already taken).
The biggest leap forward for the brand was the new website: www.evoosa.co.za. With the guide online, much wider audiences could be reached, creating significantly more value for participating producers and the EVOO industry in general. I translated the printed format to a fully responsive online format, using SquareSpace as the development platform, which allowed me to build the site quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.
Since starting this project, I have become a business partner in EVOOSA, which means that I will continue to build the brand and platform. The new-look booklet and website are just the beginning. Our next focus is our social media profiles, specifically Facebook and Instagram, which certainly need some work. Keep an eye out for our progress, and why not enjoy some South African EVOO in the meantime.
