Talking Brands: The Godfather has extended into sauce… Which brand should be next?

Stephanie Griggs, Founder, Studio Griggs
Apologies for bringing Christmas up in March, but the holiday season is the perfect time for what I am dreaming of: a Green Triangle – the most popular, but as everyone knows, rarest – Quality Street chocolate sauce.

Nestle/Quality Street have had great success with personalised retail experiences like pick your own mix, proving there is a demand for fun brand extensions in and out of F&B for this holiday staple. A chocolate sauce would be a no brainer for all the Green Triangle enthusiasts out there.

Creatively, there’s lots of fun to be had with packaging and PR – a bespoke triangular bottle with limited edition foil wrapping, for example. Perfect for squeezing straight into my mouth… I mean, putting on my Christmas pudding!

Oliver Dyer, Founder, Skew
The Traitors is practically begging for a wickedly clever twist on a classic sauce. Effective brand extension at Skew starts with DNA. The Traitors is all about sneaking around and blending in as one of the faithful – all while plotting the demise of your fellow players.

Now, let’s take something as beloved and familiar as Tomato Ketchup and give it a deliciously devious twist. The iconic bottle should be kept the same; no flashy changes needed. But, get cunning and flip the iconic Heinz shield upside down, morphing it into the sinister hooded peak of the UK’s The Traitors TV logo. You could sneak in an extra ‘traitorous variety’ to the famous ’57’ on the neck label.

The ketchup? It looks normal, but it packs a spicy (not that sort) secret—chilli. Imagine the shock, the surprise, and delight(?). If Heinz dared to dance on the edge with their consumers, they’d keep the packaging almost untouched, except for this spicy 58th variety. And to tie it up with a promotion, echoing the magic of the Wonka Bar, let’s make ‘Variety 58’ a limited edition, a rogue among the regulars… Hidden in plain sight among its unsuspecting counterparts.

David Born, CEO, Born Licensing
I could see a Lady and the Tramp pasta sauce being successful. The spaghetti scene from the 1955 Disney film is iconic and is a moment cherished by fans regardless of age and location. The front of the packaging would simply need a cut out of the characters when they are unknowingly sharing the same string of spaghetti seconds before they kiss – which has been voted as one of the best kissing scenes in history!

Tracey Richardson, Licensing and Partnerships Director, Louis Kennedy

Popeye the Sailor Man is one of the most famous seafaring characters in history. From his first appearance in the Thimble Theatre comic strip in 1929, through the TV cartoon series and the fabulous portrayal of his character by Robin Williams in the movie… He has become a pop culture icon.

He is renowned for his devotion to Olive Oyl, as well as his reliance on a can of spinach when the going gets tough to give him the extra power needed to save the day.

As Popeye celebrates his 95th anniversary this year, what better time to launch a Popeye Spinach Pasta Sauce to help us all face the tough times ahead with strength and resilience.

And, as everything we do at Louis Kennedy is a ‘Partnership with Purpose’, we’d like to see the special edition sauce commemorate the 200th anniversary of the RNLI; helping to support the fantastic, fearless seafaring volunteers who risk their own lives every day to save others.

Twenty years ago we produced a range of licensed Popeye badges sold via RNLI stores and a high street bank to celebrate his 75th Anniversary and support the charity… Now’s a great time to breakout the can opener and reinvent the partnership.