After acquisition of R$ 1.5 billion, Piraquê becomes face 'cool' of M. Dias Branco

As a result of an acquisition of R$ 1.5 billion announced a year and a half ago, the incorporation of the Rio de Janeiro brand Piraquê by the giant of Ceará M. Dias Branco served a clear business objective: to expand the dominance of the group outside the Northeast, a region that concentrates most of the their sales. However, the purchase is now serving another purpose, to give a cool "face" to the group that earned more than R $ 6 billion last year. In partnership with Lew'Lara\TBWA, Piraquê will use one of its main assets – the classic design of its packaging, created in the 1960s by Lygia Pape – as a way to sell more cookies. M. Dias Branco, which has 19 brands of pasta and biscuits, is already the leader of the sector, with 36% of the country's sales. Betting on design and more modern communication, M. Dias Branco wants to use Piraquê as its passport to compete for the customer in segments of higher added value, leaving the market dispute on the basis of the low price. Betting on design and more modern communication, M. Dias Branco wants to use Piraquê as its passport to compete for the customer in segments of higher added value, leaving the market dispute on the basis of the low price. For now, Piraquê's clothing collection will only be distributed to digital influencers and artists – the idea is to generate spontaneous media with social media posts. However, for the beginning of 2020, the brand and the agency are already working on expanding the project. The hammer is not yet beaten, but the idea is to ensure that the collection wins the streets more comprehensively from January. Luchi admits that the use of brands from other segments in clothing is not exactly a new idea. In addition to crush soda logos and oil giant Texaco being often emblazoned on T-shirts, Coca-Cola has its own clothing line. But there is a difference, he said: "Coca-Cola's clothes could have any other brand stamped. The Piraquê can only be piraquê." Beyond curiosity For consultant Adalberto Viviani, who specializes in the food and beverage sector, for the extension of the Piraquê brand to clothes succeed in the long term, and not to restrict itself to a "cutie" of social network, activations need to work on the historical context of Packaging. "It is necessary to make it clear that when wearing Piraquê, the person is wearing Lygia Pape, a design icon. Which is not something for anyone." Another challenge, the consultant points out, is to give Piraquê a younger "face." Although there is a goodwill with the product and also with its visual identity, he recalls that this admiration is concentrated in people aged 40 years or older.