The move aims to be a reflection of the brand's intention to solidify its position in the hearts and minds of South African consumers.

The brand says that, to this end, the refreshed corporate identity builds onto an already iconic logo by presenting a newly developed typeface and iconography that speaks to the textures of the country.

The brand says that its new creative platform 'It's Eskort' show how the current payoff line 'Life's Delicious' comes to life in a way the consumer can touch and feel. The brand adds that this will be helping Eskort cement its household name status among certain consumer segments and grow awareness for its best taste and safety reputation.

The new corporate identity and positioning comprises a 360° campaign that's dominated by television and digital. The personality of the television campaign, which sees two executions launching in November and one in January, is inclusive, optimistic, innovative and resourceful, says Eskort. 

Eskort's group marketing manager Marcelle Pienaar says, "The pork category is facing several challenges right now. South Africans don't buy and consume enough pork products. They are simply unaware of the myriad consumption opportunities. In a nutshell, the majority think pork is just bacon, sausages and sandwich ham, but in reality it's so much more."

"Our challenge to MetropolitanRepublic was four-fold: educate our consumer groups, differentiate the Eskort brand, build brand recognition and quality, taste and safety attributes and build relevance and emotional connection with the youth," adds Pienaar.

The agency's response to Eskort's request was to disrupt the convention that pork should be positioned on quality and safety alone but instead leverage the positive associations and sensory triggers of the eating experience and occasion.

According to MetropolitanRepublic executive creative director Kamogelo Sesing, Eskort already owns several valuable territories that would enable it to do so.

"Creating the new brand positioning and creative platform wasn't about making up a space that Eskort could own … it's about owning the space it has already created and amplifying it," says Sesing.

"The owned space — Eskort is South Africa's premium pork brand with a track record for providing the best quality, value, range and innovation to South Africans — gave rise to the big idea that positioned Eskort as the obvious brand of choice because of the love South Africans have for it, not just as a pork brand but as a social glue. Something around which people gathered and celebrated," adds Sesing.

"That is Eskort's purpose — to bring people together and that's something bigger than the brand. And so it wasn't too difficult to land the idea that it's not just a pork brand but more than that. It's Eskort," Sesing says.

Sesing says that the brand also comes alive in the digital world which will be driven through MetropolitanRepublic's proprietary 'always on' digital process. The success of this process hinges on all content being created a month in advance so that the team can focus its time on optimisation rather than simply 'getting things live'.

According to Sesing, this ensures it is always engaging reactive and proactive with the various online communities and constantly making media optimisations.

The new corporate identity and pay-off line launched on Wednesday, 18 November with the TVCs and digital work, as well as branding at Eskort's head office and processing plants. Other elements in the retail environment and promotional activities roll out over the next few months.



For more information, visit www.eskort.com. You can also follow Eskort on Facebook or on Instagram.