Kerrygold hired Droga5 as its global creative agency of record as the premium Irish dairy brand seeks new messaging to help continue its growth.
Kerrygold previously worked with McCann Manchester on a global level.
Droga5, which is owned by Accenture, is set to develop a new global communications platform, Kerrygold said in a statement to Ad Age.
The butter and cheese brand exceeded 1 billion euros in retail sales in 2019, a record for Kerrygold and one that makes it the biggest Irish food brand. Now, as the coronavirus pandemic has led to an increase in people cooking and baking at home, interest in Kerrygold’s products remains strong.
Along with Ireland and the U.K., key markets for Kerrygold include Germany and U.S., where it is the second-largest butter brand behind Land O’Lakes.
Energy BBDO continues as Kerrygold’s creative agency in the U.S. Omnicom’s Energy BBDO has held the Kerrygold U.S. account since 2016.
Kerrygold is marketed by Ireland’s Ornua Foods. The premium brand positions itself with marketing that highlights the Irish farmers who raise grass-fed cows that produce the milk that goes into its products, as well as the climate in Ireland (read: lots of rain), which it asserts helps all that grass grow. The butter, which has a distinct taste and a golden yellow hue due to the milk from grass-fed cows, has a large fan base in many markets around the world.
“Not only were we drawn to Droga5 by their creative reputation; we were also impressed by the team’s ability to quickly translate the DNA of Kerrygold into an emotionally powerful brand idea,” Adam Murphy, head of global brands at Kerrygold, said in a statement.
Droga5’s first work for the brand is expected to be introduced in the first half of 2021. Details on the creative approach weren’t shared.
“The team at Droga5 is looking forward to taking a product as simple and pure as grass-fed butter and cheese and unleashing the true essence of this special brand to elevate its place in consumers’ lives around the world through creative storytelling and integrated brand experiences,” Felix Richter, co-chief creative officer at Droga5, said in a statement.
Droga5’s other global agency of record relationships include Kimberly-Clark and Maserati.
The agency is getting the account as the butter brand has been doing quite well, even before pandemic-driven increases in food purchases for at-home consumption. In 2019, Kerrygold had the highest repeat purchase rate against rivals in Germany, the UK and the U.S., Ornua wrote in its annual report. Kerrygold’s U.S. volume once again grew at a double-digit clip in 2019, the company stated.
