Arcus

Tradition and identity

Anora Group / Arcus AS is Norway’s largest wholesaler of alcoholic beverages, and they own several brands in the aquavit category. The Løiten brand is an iconic and market-leading Norwegian brand with roots dating back to 1855.

Fig 1: Exploration of a historic brand

Objective

To redesign an iconic brand to strengthen its market position.

type of process

Design research
- Qualititative interviews
- Semiotic analysis
Development of design- and brand guidelines

Fig 2: Exploration of different drinking horns on historic labels

APPROACH

The aquavit category has grown from just a few products to over 200, and the interest in aquavit as cultural heritage and as a product brings both opportunities and challenges for Arcus. Løiten, with roots from 1855, has developed an inconsistent portfolio after years of organic growth and label designs from different eras. Strict Norwegian alcohol regulations limit the possibilities for changes in design and communication.

Arcus needed a holistic view of the brand, and Brand Valley carried out a qualitative study with semiotic analysis inspired by Charles Peirce’s triadic model. We analysed the category, brand, product, bottle, and label both as individual and interacting elements. Extensive customer interviews were conducted to understand the brand’s current value.

To fully understand Løiten’s meaning, historical sources were reviewed. We visited the National Library and the National Archives to find all elements of the brand. One finding was that key elements had disappeared from the labels over time. A specific discovery was that the drinking horn turned out to be the original trademark, but it had lost its significance over a century and a half of redesign (Figure 2).

result

The project resulted in a comprehensive report with insights and design guidelines, forming the basis for a new design, a positioning platform, and a clearer understanding of what the Løiten brand should represent. Arcus also gained better insight into potential product launches based on the brand’s essence and identified user scenarios. The work led to the launch of Løiten Tur aquavit and a limited-edition Christmas aquavit.

Interested in learning more about how we helped strengthen circular thinking through design?