Creating an inspiring story that allowed a New Zealand product to step outside of the Constraints of being from New Zealand.
We were asked to create a new uber-premium international brand that could reposition New Zealand Lamb and target Michelin star-rated restaurants globally. This new lamb had been specifically bred over a decade by a collective of passionate farmers using a common genetic make-up which delivered customers and chefs a meat product with increased intramuscular fat, succulence, mouth feel and reduced aroma.
The current name for the lamb was Te Mana, but it failed to capture the human endeavour, holistic farming practice and world-first leadership of the venture. A community of pioneers had put everything on the line to make their vision a reality, and they needed a brand story to reflect the global ambition of the people behind it.
To align the different farms, we helped shape a set of shared Lumina values and principles that would result in creating the world’s best lamb which we called an ‘An Enlightened Breed’.
A community of practice, a shared ambition and common philosophy in the pursuit of absolute perfection - the name ‘Lumina’ acknowledges the contribution made by the entire Lumina family whose commitment is captured in every cut of meat. We named the proposition ‘Lumina’ to express innovation and leadership, using red to convey excellence, and introduced a crafted emblem to express luxury.
We chose to amplify the process by introducing characters whose efforts resulted in the product. Luminaries - from the breeder, to shepherds to butchers - were featured as chapters in the story we created. Each character told their specific story to provide chefs with a range of diverse yet aligned stories they could individually find inspiration within when creating their menus and dishes.
Lumina honours the ‘whole story’ - a community of practice, a shared ambition and common philosophy in the pursuit of absolute perfection.
The challenge was to create a new proposition that leveraged the positive attributes of New Zealand without being constrained by them. Our first step was to interview high-end chefs globally to discover what they value in the ingredients they use. This process gave us a better understanding of the value drivers of the key customer. These chefs value the ‘how’ behind the ingredients they choose to feature within their menus: how it’s grown, what the weather conditions are, who cares for it. These insights help inspire the dishes they create. Knowing that chefs value the ‘how and why’ behind any ingredient they use informed the foundations from which the brand grew.
With this project, we immersed ourselves in the farming world, from the geneticists, growers, and shepherds to the scientists, learning and documenting the innovation, leadership and excellence we witnessed. It became clear the opportunity was in stronger storytelling, connecting the brand and narrative to the people behind its creation and ongoing delivery.
Taking the new brand to chefs in mid-2020, when their restaurants were either currently closed or just starting to reopen was a challenge. Arming the sales team globally with the tools to tell the whole story, and bringing chefs in and making them part of the brand helped in a challenging environment. The commitment to keep the chefs on the inside continues through immersive and curated field trips across Lumina Farms, connecting them to all aspects of the endeavour and keeping them involved in ongoing product development through both discussion and product testing.
The project positioned Lumina lamb well away from traditional New Zealand lamb products. Due to the genetic make-up and unique product attributes, it was crucial it did not look or sound like any other premium New Zealand lamb. The project showcases the end-to-end process and identifies the different experts that contribute to it along the way.
The solution educates chefs and consumers that a meat product can be exquisite in taste while positive for the planet via regenerative farming practices.
GoodDesign Awards (AU)
Vision Thing
Sons & Co