How to leverage a 100 year brand anniversary:
FOCUS ON POTENTIAL
In the fall of 1921, three hundred independent dairy farmers formed a cooperative that later became Land OâLakes, Inc., the Fortune 200 global agribusiness. A hundred years later, it was time to celebrateâamidst a few challenges: Generally speaking, consumers donât care if a CPG brand gets older (e.g. itâs not innovative or fresh); and we were in the midst of a global pandemic.
We turned to our brandâs DNA, and found a concept that still resonates today: the potential of collaboration. And we focused on audiences who would care about legacy and resilience: current member-owners, employees and the cooperative system. As the sculptor Deb Zeller put it (in the documentary above):
âWhen people learn that working together, challenging each other, growing with each other creates way more than an individual could doâthatâs when cooperatives work.â
The sculpture itself, titled Rooted in Tomorrow, serves as the centerpiece of the centenary. It stands outside Land OâLakesâ headquarters in Arden Hills, Minnesota. I served as strategist and creative director on the effort, collaborating with corporate leadership, communications and operations. I lead the initial artist selection process, developed the budget and timing, and served as the main point of contact with the sculptor. I helped facilitate instillation and coordination of events surrounding its reveal. Pro tip: If you can wrangle a Big Ten university marching band to appear at your celebration, do it! I also filmed and edited the documentary.
The process to create the life-size bronze sculpture took 10 months, but the artwork could very well stand for thousands of years moreâa clear demonstration of potential.
