What do SpongeBob SquarePants, Hello Kitty, Spiderman, The Simpsons, and Barbie all have in common?
They're not only top-rated children's animated TV characters; they're also just a few of the likenesses you've probably seen in the licensed line of sweets cooked up by Frankford Candy, a longstanding family-owned confectioner. Founded in 1947, Frankford Candy takes pride in its long history of producing and selling private-label signature and seasonal chocolates. In recent years, however, the company has expanded its portfolio by partnering with other candy manufacturers and purchasing the exclusive rights to make and sell assorted treats featuring characters and logos from some of the top-rated shows from Disney, Marvel, Nickelodeon, and more.
Eastern Standard set out to redefine the company's branding with the design and launch of a completely new engaging and modern website. After an exhaustive discovery phase, our goal was to create a site that reflects the whimsical nature of the business, while promoting their products and licenses in a way that stands out from their sea of competitors. We wanted the site to enable Frankford's brand to stand alone, while also being a “chameleon” that allows the licensed brands to shine in their own context.
The recently completed site contains many noteworthy features, including a voting feature for hashtagged photo contests that encourages sharing and social media engagement; flexible categorization and filters that support the promotion of products individually or as part of a season, brand, or licensor; animated hero areas offering a fun way to customize pages and promote products and brands; a "Sweet News" page featuring a mix of blog posts and social media images; and a "Hot Items" tag that highlights new and popular products throughout the site.
Because we wanted to play up the fact that this company is, in some circles, an unrecognized Philadelphia treasure, we placed a bold emphasis on creating a history section — and helped the client create an overview that builds admiration for the company.
We also captured video of the production process in detail, which provides a magical look behind the scenes of the candy creation in action. Footer videos now punctuate random pages and encourage users to sign up for the latest information or to connect on social media.
Phase II of this project involved the creation of a microsite promoting the company’s acquisition and reintroduction of the Wonder Ball™, a hollow, foil-wrapped chocolate ball containing a surprise selection of candy pieces featuring the likenesses of animated movie characters from Toy Story, The Lion King, 101 Dalmations, and Minions. The concept began with the concept of an enter-to-win contest, in which users could guess the flavor and type of candy contained in a special Wonder Ball™ for a chance to win one of 500 free candy giveaways. The promotion was quite effective at not only renewing interest in this beloved retro candy product that was formerly owned and marketed by Nestle, but also creating a hub for social media activity, collecting email addresses for future marketing efforts, and boosting overall awareness of the Frankford brand.
The result? Visitors now get not only a fun and informative look at this company and the innovative path it has taken, but also an enjoyable and immersive brand experience across all product lines.
