Sam’s Choice Italia

Creative Agency: Anthem Worldwide
Client: Walmart
Location: United States
Creative Director: Gerard Rizzo
Design Director: Tracey Ujfalussy
Account Director: Bernadette Sheppard / Leigh Waycaster
Photographer: Wak Pictures, Susan Kinast
Walmart Design Lead: Sarah Paskell

Walmart’s objective was to build customer loyalty through a new line of curated global foods under the Sam’s Choice brand. While the initial launch would feature Italian fare, the long-term goal was to create a platform that could easily transfer to any regional cuisine from around the world.

Sam’s Choice Italia included authentic Italian products, all sourced and imported from Italy. The packaging design needed to communicate that everything about Italia was purely Italian.

The shelving strategy was to create a design that was memorable and easy to find, no matter where the products were placed in store. Strong Italian-inspired cues create a powerful brand blocking effect and stand out from regular Sam’s Choice products. The over-arching design structure cohesively ties all Italia products together, while still allowing for differentiation at the SKU level. The design looks authentic, giving customers a reason to believe in the brand’s higher value.

“Walmart’s line of curated global foods under the Sam’s Choice private brand continues to innovate and bring authentic gourmet offerings to consumers,” said Wendy Kufeldt, Managing Director, at Anthem Toronto. “We are fortunate to collaborate with brands that understand the power of innovation and strategic packaging design – it is gratifying to be recognized for the value we bring to our clients’ business.”