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Mountain newsletter | March 2012
March and the sun is shining!
Enjoy and Step Up!
From a rough idea to a strong brand in a new category of wellbeing in just a few weeks. A spot on job for Mountain. With an integrated and no-nonsense approach, we developed insights, brand strategy, a visual identity, the verbal identity and first marcom materials. With great results as we learned after meeting the first consumers.
Healthy, natural, tasty and absolutely Dutch are the key values of Campina. Mountain has used all these brand values to create a complete and appealing line of porridge. With an ownable design, strong shelf impact and effective connotations.
You cannot miss them on the shelves.
A distinctive candy requires a distinctive design. To reconfirm and enlarge the leadership position of Heksehyl in the Netherlands and Germany, Mountain has developed a new design language and packaging design system. Heksehyl "the witch's scream". With their unique recipes and ingredients, witches make the most irresistible and dangerously delicious liquorice.
Without a doubt, Karvan Cévitam is the best syrup you can buy. But our clients are always looking for new challenges. New tastes, new origin. Therefore Mountain helped Karvan Cévitam to design a new range: Karvan Cévitam Fruitbron. A premium syrup range with special flavors: Indian Raspberry-Guava and Orange Brazilian-Açai. With a design that reflects the elegant, healthy and optimistic character.
We all know that compost is important for growth. But consumers actually don't have enough knowledge about this product. So time for change: driven by the leader of the category. With a sharp brand positioning, distinctive identity and effective packaging design system, we helped Naturado to step up.
Zonnatura stands for 50 years of delicious, 100% natural and organic products. Offering a wide range for a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Together with the marketing team of Zonnatura we developed a new visual identity that reflects the brand character. A packaging design system that improves shelf impact and clarity.
Is it better to enter new markets with our current brand or with a new brand? Or the current brand in combination with a subbrand? How do we prevent a sprawl of brands? What to do with the brands of two merging organizations? Do we replace our local brand by our international mother brand? Which brand will then endorse the other? And for how long? Is the relationship with the mother brand visible? Do we want it to be? Does the portfolio support the brand positioning?
This Mountain book describes how well chosen management of brand portfolios can support the performance of organizations. It explains the basic principles of brand portfolio thinking and shows what considerations precede an efficient and effective strategy.
If you want to have a copy, just send an email to rik@mountain.nl.
Besides a great brand and car, also brilliant short copy: "Das best Mittel gegen alles Identische? Identität."
How every small decision can have a big influence on the rest of you life!
A good example of how that just being yourself can help to make a big icon.
You always find the true artist on the street. Look at the artisme-collective on www.fubzi.net and you don't have to explain why.
Inexhaustible source of inspiration. Italian designer, strong roots in interior design, with a incredible track record at Fiat design center, Alfa Romeo center and the sports division of Volkswagen Group. His most famous design was the Alfa Romeo 156.
Despite the extensive online world, reading a printed magazine is still delicious. Especially if an unconventional photography style knows hows to seduce as a reader.
Because he himself never made any other purpose than making culinary creations that never been there before. Nice is that he himself is now redundant because everyone is copying the master himself.
Always appealing. And sometimes a design jewel. For example the remake of 'An American werewolf in London'. Watch and shudder!
Progressive 'Less is more'.
Long life Discovery channel! Programs like How it's made, Wheeler dealers, Mythbusters, etc. do trigger your senses. And when you as a designer can influence latest technology, then you are happy.
Times flies when you are having fun. Mountain celebrated it's 12,5 year's anniversary in 2011.
A great achievement. But it is even better that during this period we managed to become an international top player and to have fun with each other. Just ask Esther Kloosterman, Peter Guldemond and Hans van De Bovenkamp. The also celebrated 12,5 years at Mountain. First in and far from out.
We are also happy to welcome great new clients. For example we are working on an identity and design project for Ferrerro, helping out Maxeda DIY with achieving her ambitions for a new private brand portfolio and supporting Chrysal International with their commercial challenges in Japan.
Recently we received the message that our design case Roosvicee Fruit & Rozenbottel has been internationally awarded with a Bronze Pentaward. The Pentaward is the first and only worldwide competition exclusively devoted to creation and marketing of packaging in all its forms.
Sometimes you want to tell more. About our passion, thinking and doing. To touch your heart and not only your brain. In a manner contrary to the hectic online world. Therefore we thought it was a good idea to get back to the 'old fashion' instrument of a print magazine. At this moment we are working on the creative concept and the related content. Coming soon to your nearest post office box.
To share our passion, update our expertise and off course have some fun, we moved the Mountain for a long weekend to Prague. There we met our colleagues of our agencies in Prague, Moscow and Bucharest. And to make and to cut a long story short: a picture is worth a thousand words.
Richard Mooij left us about two years ago to get new inspiration at another design agency. But you don't know what you have got until it's gone. We are very happy to have Richard back. Great designer. Great personality.
Look beyond the obvious
Clearly understanding the goal. Isolating the problem. Knowing which information is (not) available. Understanding the journey. Refreshing your view. Building teams. Sharing ideas. Looking past the most obvious solutions.
Unlock new opportunities
Having a much better understanding of what drives the consumer. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the competition. Tapping into the soul of the brand. Unlocking its potential. Good, better, best. Focus on portfolio, brand, identity, design, communication. Making ideas tangible.
Break new ground
Developing strategic and tactical options. Which journey is feasible? Pointing out impact and consequences. Sharpen portfolio and brand(s). Optimising visual and verbal identity. Setting out design and communication platforms. Making tools.
Make it happen
Seduce your target groups. Communicate the advantage in a reliable way. Convince. Provide the tools. Help with the execution of brand manifestations. Keep your finger on the pulse and your hands on the wheel (where needed). Enjoy.
THE HAGUE
Scheveningseweg 42, 2517 KV the Hague, the Netherlands
P.O. Box 10667,
2501 HR the Hague, the Netherlands
T. +31 (0)70 302 20 80, F. +31 (0)70 302 20 89
PRAGUE
U Pruhonu 13, Prague 7 - Holesovice, Czech Republic
T. +420 224815985, F. +420 224 814 934
BUCHAREST
Str. Emanoil Proumbaru, no 43, sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
+40 723 366 630
MOSCOW
Uspensky per 3, Building 4, Moscow 127006, Russia
+7 (495) 781 82 32