Last month’s Summer Fancy Food Show featured a ton of fun and friendly companies from throughout our industry. But, to my knowledge, only one brand boasted ten-foot-tall animal mascots dancing, handing out samples, and holding down their booth to spectacular effect. That company was Field Trip Jerky.
I recently had an opportunity to speak to Tom Donigan, Founding Partner of Field Trip, about the company’s new mascots, the recent rebrand that created the characters, and just what makes Field Trip’s products so exceptional.
“The rebrand is still fresh, and buyers and consumers alike have really responded positively to the beautiful artwork and whimsical nature of the packaging,” Tom told me. “From the beginning, Field Trip’s products have served as an adventure snack—a snack that people could enjoy on their adventures. Our jerky and our meat sticks are really versatile protein snacks, and we wanted to bring out the ‘get out there’ mentality of our logo and our brand with the packaging.”
The company’s packaging, featuring the outdoorsy animals recreating at some of the nation’s most beloved national parks, was introduced last year, and gave the Field Trip team the opportunity to introduce a truly impressive cast of larger-than-life mascots.
“Since we had these great characters on the packaging, we thought it would be an opportunity to further engage with our consumer base and have nine and ten-foot-tall mascots made—to really be immersive,” Tom said. “It’s been a lot of fun—seeing people just stop in their tracks stare at the animals and then wait in line to take pictures with the mascots. “
Targeting a metropolitan millennial consumer, Field Trip Jerky’s focus on healthy ingredients and attractive, lifestyle-appropriate packaging are helping to reinvigorate a category all too often associated with unhealthy gas station fare.
“When we started this whole business, we viewed jerky as a truly versatile snack that was too often forgotten about, mischaracterized, or portrayed incorrectly,” Tom explained. “And with today’s diets insisting on a high-protein, low-carb diet, jerky is a perfect fit.”
An all-natural, gluten-free snack with more than 10 grams of protein per serving, Field Trip is ideal for increasingly health-conscious consumers. And, the product is highlighting it U.S.-made origins while encouraging consumers to integrate Field Trip Jerky into their active lifestyles.
“In the process [of developing the company’s new packaging], we really wanted to bring out the Americana aspect of the brand. This is an American-made product, and we’re proud of being made in America,” said Tom. “We thought, why not embrace—in my mind and the team’s mind—one of the greatest treasures that we have in this country—the national park system. We have seven different flavors right now and we highlight a specific national park on the packaging of each flavor. We really wanted to have fun with it, and the best part of all of this has been the consumer feedback.”
In fact, Tom tells me, the new packaging has even inspired some intrepid consumers to take their favorite snack on the road to the corresponding park
“We’ve had people taking our packaging to the national parks that correspond to a particular flavor and take picture,” Tom explained. “That’s been an affirmation that we’re doing something right.”
For more on exceptional product offerings in our industry, stay tuned to Deli Market News.
