‘We want to be a bit more ballsy’: why Napolina brought Lucky Generals on board

As customers rethink spending habits, the tinned tomato titan finds itself under threat in the “squeezed middle.” So what can we expect from a major £2m campaign?Italian food brand Napolina has added Lucky Generals to its agency roster ahead of a major push to boost its 140 product lines.Napolina, which is part of the Princes Group (of tuna fame), is Britain’s biggest Italian food brand. But it’s at risk in the “squeezed middle” on supermarket shelves, says brand marketing director Jeremy Gibson, as the UK’s cost of living crisis provokes consumers to rethink the contents of their weekly shop.An investment of at least £2m in a major campaign set to be unveiled this winter will bring back disaffected customers and convert new ones, Gibson hopes.Olives, tomatoes and the squeezeNapolina may be the country’s biggest Italian food brand but Gibson, who joined Princes Group following earlier gigs at PepsiCo, Hovis and Innocent, tells The Drum its brand marketing has been under par in recent years. He wants to transform its approach, from ragu to arrabbiata.”We’ve had a few iterations of what the main brand should communicate ... but never really got them to connect. It’s been a product-led, classic, romantic Italian brand.”Though sales have been adequate, Gibson recognizes the brand is under threat in the ”squeezed middle” between ”own brands offering value and premium stuff. We’re sitting in that premium-mainstream area, but you need your brand to work really hard, as well as the quality of your product to work hard, for that to work. We haven’t got that right for quite a while.”Napolina needs to bring back ”lapsed consumers who have lost a little love for us,” and prove its worth to shoppers rethinking their budgets, he argues.The company can appeal to consumers who still want high-quality food, even if they’re cutting back on eating out. ”They still need special occasions – they want to treat themselves to something a little bit better,” he notes. In the long-term, however, it can differentiate itself from supermarket competitors by emphasizing ”good value for money, as opposed to being purely about value ... the quality of the product, [and] the strength of the customer brand.”Why pick Lucky Generals?Gibson, who says he admired Lucky Generals’ work for Yorkshire Tea, explains he tempted the agency in with the task of making Napolina stand out.”I offered them a challenge – how do we take a brand that is known, but not known to have a different point of view, and give it a distinct brand message? I wanted them to take a recognized brand and give it a bit of a shake-up, and that’s what we have done.”Vickie Ridley, the agency’s chief marketing officer and client partner, adds: “The Napolina team is fiercely ambitious. It was clear from the first time we met that they are on a mission to drive the brand forward at pace – we can’t wait to help them do just that.”It plans to do that by taking Napolina into a “ballsier” and edgier place than it’s been before, reminding consumers of its genuine Italian heritage, says Gibson.”As much as we’re singing the praises of our Italian roots, we want to be a bit more ballsy in our tone of voice. I’ve always had an image of Italians in absolute despair about pineapple being on pizza – well, we will take that tone of voice and be an Italian brand that celebrates our ingredients instead of apologizing for them.”Financial cloutWhile the brand’s new campaign is set to debut in November, TV work will follow next year. Gibson says it marks a significant investment from Princes in its brands. ”Certainly from a media side, we will definitely be spending in excess of £2m-£2.5m. That will continue to grow over time to get our message out there. My role as marketing director is to elevate these brands, and we need the financial clout to do that.”Lucky Generals isn’t the only agency partnering with Napolina. Spin has been brought on to lead its organic social account, while design shop Honey has been briefed with reimagining the look of its packaging for 2023.That brings Napolina’s agency roster to five, including its PR account with Weber Shandwick and Wavemaker, which handles its media.”You need a good repertoire of agencies,” Gibson says. He wants to give Spin, Honey and Lucky Generals ”the chance to be disruptive on that platform. We’re bringing in the experts to hit the ground running and get us live.”

‘We want to be a bit more ballsy’: why Napolina brought Lucky Generals on board

By Sam Bradley | Senior Reporter

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