CINCINNATI, OH - Whispers in the industry have been spreading over a possible brand refresh from Kroger since last week, but now there is a definitive answer. The retailer announced its ambitious brand transformation campaign and new logo that will celebrate its history and future as one of America’s favorite grocers.

"Kroger's new brand launch is a unifying framework for our seamless shopping experience that is designed to deepen our connection with customers and associates today and into the future, support our business transformation, and provide an elevated creative approach," said Mike Donnelly, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "Kroger chose Fresh for Everyone as our leading brand message because it is inclusive, clear and memorable, and supports our vision of serving America through food inspiration and uplift.”

The retailer tapped DDB New York as its first creative agency of record, according to a press release. DDB brought its creative horsepower and ingenuity to bring Kroger’s passion for customer service, innovation, and fresh-forward attitude new life.

"Kroger believes that everyone deserves to have access to fresh, affordable, and delicious food, no matter who you are, how you shop, or what you like to eat,” Donnelly continued. “Kroger's winning combination of assets puts our team in a unique position to deliver fresh…for everyone."

The full brand refresh is designed to break through the grocery retail industry’s “sea of sameness,” the press release states, and create a stronger brand identity, both internally among associates and externally among customers and other valuable stakeholders.

"Kroger already stands apart from its competitors in terms of quality, loyalty to customers, and real-world actions that speak to its purpose to Feed the Human Spirit," said Lisa Topol, Co-Chief Creative Officer of DDB New York. "Advertising in the grocery space was universally a sea of sameness: generic aisles of groceries and close-ups of people cutting carrots. Yet, Kroger is anything but generic. So, we wanted to take their inclusive and uplifting promise to their customers and find an effective and creative way to share it with the world."

While the brand refresh will be enacted throughout Kroger’s operations, the retailer’s 20+ banners across the country will continue to operate under their existing names, while incorporating the new brand attributes.

Some of Kroger’s new brand attributes include:

• New Logo - Redesigned with a contemporary feel, the new logo reflects the retailer’s strong, food-rich heritage, retaining the shape and movement of the iconic “K” and “G” that its customers have known and loved for generations
• New Tagline - The “Fresh for Everyone” tagline communicates the brand’s ethos, designed to drive an instant understanding of the Kroger brand and its belief that everyone should have access to fresh, affordable, and delicious food
• Primary Brand Color - Blue will continue to be the brand’s signature color, representing Kroger’s heritage of food savvy, safety, dedication to its customers
• Color Accent Palette - The rest of the colors used in branding will be bright and modern, to signify the fun and inclusive spirit of the new campaign
• Animation - Kroger is introducing the Kroji (Kroger+emoji), a loveable cast of characters that represent the retailer’s customers, associates, and communities in a relatable, inclusive, optimistic, and fun way
• Photography and Video Style - Exiting visual narratives that stand out to customers, featuring real, delicious, fresh food with movement placed next to animation

Kroger will be launching a massive media campaign to promote its new brand transformation and will target advertising channels including, retail, television and radio broadcast, digital, print, social, podcast, cinema, outdoor, and TV and music streaming services.

"We know that consumers make 221 food-related decisions a day, so Kroger's brand campaign was developed using the deep insights we have about our customers, their needs, and how we can help make it easier for them to achieve their food aspirations," Mandy Rassi, Vice President of Marketing, commented, citing a Cornell Chronicle study on food purchasing decisions.

Kroger’s brand refresh puts a focus on better serving its customers and making their lives easier. The rebranding will also include a promotion for the retailer’s grocery pickup service, offering free pickup through January 1, 2020, in honor of the refresh. As always, the new branding seeks to communicate Kroger’s commitment to delivering fresh food at a fair price.

"Fresh and friendly underpin Kroger's new brand identity because product quality and the total customer experience—across physical and digital—are key to bringing our brand promise to life," Rassi continued. "Kroger's new brand celebrates our love of people and our love of food, cutting through the 'sea of sameness' that has beset grocery retail advertising for far too long. Having a more consistent and recognizable brand enables Kroger to stand out and engage our customers in an even more compelling way."

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