Midwest manufacturing powerhouse Wisconic was poised to create a new, innovative in-house kitchen tool brand to empower Millennials and young parents interested in honing their at-home cooking skills.
Wisconic wanted their new line to be more than another kitchen tool brand. They wanted to create a cultural touchstone to help semi-experienced home cooks gain confidence in the kitchen. Intent on securing a prominent presence in major retail hubs like Target and Walmart, Wisconic enlisted the help of EightySeven to develop a brand that would not only jump off the shelves but become a cherished emblem in the kitchens of aspiring Millennial chefs nationwide.
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ITSA
Friendly kitchen essentials.
Introducing aspiring home cooks to their missing ingredients.
Cooking is a pastime that has the power to connect generations and bring so much joy to our lives. But if you’re new to it, cooking can also be intimidating – especially in an era where prestige cooking and baking have gone mainstream with the boom of YouTube and TikTok cooking and cultural phenomena like Chef’s Table and The Great British Baking Show.
The team at Wisconic wanted to relieve the pressure and introduce people to the simple pleasures of home cooking. It was an opportunity to bake fun and play into every aspect of the brand, from its name to the voice and design, even the colors and designs of the tools themselves.
A homemade brand strategy.
To get started, EightySeven conducted interviews to gather key qualitative insights from target audience members and held an immersive, in-person 87BrandFocus workshop with the Wisconic team. After a series of activities and exercises designed to drive discussion and alignment, our brand formula was in place. We were ready to start once their core fundamentals and design objectives were clearly defined and agreed upon.
Brand Focus
87BrandFocus Workshop
Brand Core & Audit
Vision & Values
Audience & Personality
Brand Focus
Essential Brand Statements
Just the right amount of cooks.
The Wisconic brand team was excited to build this new brand and wanted to contribute, so we assembled the EightySeven and the Wisconic leadership teams for a collaborative 87BrandName workshop. First, we walked through various naming strategies. We conducted an in-depth collaborative name storm with the clients and got to work on names that would capture the essence of their new name for customers nationwide.
The winning name, 'Itsa,” reflects a critical insight from our discussions. We realized that in the world of cooking, it's perfectly fine to be a newbie and not know what certain kitchen t is a playful nod to this, encouraging a fun and approachable atmosphere where it’s okay to ask questions when you're unsure.
What’s that? Itsa…spatula! Itsa…spoon! Itsa…coffee scooper!
The name allowed the brand to introduce new kitchen tools – even unknown recipes and ingredients – to the indoctrinated in a fun and conversational way that could bring a smile to the faces of even the most self-conscious cooks. It also lent itself to a simple, ownable copy construct.
Brand Name
StoryBrand Framework
Brand Storytelling
Naming Workshop
Trademark Alignment & POV
Story and Name Origins
“EightySeven went above and beyond. Not simply handing us a brilliant branding plan but patiently walking us through the steps of identifying our company’s voice…”
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“EightySeven went above and beyond. Not simply handing us a brilliant branding plan but patiently walking us through the steps of identifying our company’s voice, helping us to get to know our target market, and then how to build our beautiful new brand, taking all of that information into account. I cannot wait to be able to share the amazing work they've done.”
Jenica Wolski, Creative Manager, Wisconic
No need to be snooty.
From the beginning, Wisconic and EightySeven agreed that the voice of this new brand should be one that would welcome people into the kitchen. We wanted to keep it light, fun, and neighborly to encourage exploration, customization, and play.
It’s a voice that also harkens back to times spent in the kitchen with Mom or Grandma, encouraging new parents to use cooking as an opportunity to make memories and pass traditions down to their little ones, too.
Beyond the emotions it conveys, the Itsa brand voice is designed to create and inspire opportunities for the client’s brand team. “Itsa,” is more than a brand name, it’s an accelerant for on-brand, cross-channel messaging. It sets up product names, recipes, ingredients, content series, special editions, and promotions almost seamlessly, making it easier for its in-house team to consistently connect with home cooks.
Brand Voice
StoryBrand Framework
Brand Voice
Messaging
Language Guidelines
Voice Direction
Elevator Pitches & Sales
Manifesto
Brand Story
Using Mom’s cookbooks to give us a look.
Striking a balance between a playful brand personality and the brand's confidence as a kitchen companion, we drew inspiration from vintage cookbooks and the warm, friendly ambiance of a kitchen. This led us to develop an identity and packaging system that truly reflects our brand's essence.
Our team worked to develop the Icon and identity by developing a simple system that would pair the logo with the product name to create a consistent and easily recognizable visual element.
Brand Visuals
Brand Storyboards
Visual Identity
Graphic Elements & Illustration
Typography
Art Direction
Brand Guidelines
Photography
Packaging
