“It was clear from our initial meetings with LG2 that we were dealing with experts who had a firm grasp of our issues and needs. The team did a great job respecting our heritage while also getting us to really think about who we are as a brand in order to successfully position our identity for the future.”
Sandrine and Maxime Balthazard
Co-owners of Balthazard
Since 1995, the name Balthazard has been synonymous with quality for Quebec wine aficionados and producers from around the world. The founders, Jacques and Andrée, have paved the way for an entire industry since creating their company, steering it to a leading position among Quebec wine importers. Today, their children Sandrine and Maxime continue the family tradition.
Despite their status as a pioneering importation business, the company has still been buffeted by the winds of change that have hit the industry in recent years. Consumer behaviour has changed significantly, trends have emerged and a growing number of competitors have seized the opportunity to capture new clientele.
The company needed to evolve its brand and establish a clear, compelling position for its customers, partners and employees.
A new brand, the same DNA
The challenge was to evolve the brand while avoiding trendy industry tropes. Immersing itself in the Balthazard world through interviews and exploratory meetings, LG2 pinpointed three brand pillars: authenticity, family and enjoyment.
From the winemaker to the consumer, Balthazard has always cultivated a relationship of trust, which naturally exists between all those who share a love of great wine. After all, people, like the fruit on the vine, are also essential ingredients.
The new positioning is rooted in the pleasure of sharing. By spotlighting consumption occasions and the enjoyment they offer, the brand was able to develop relevant content on its platforms and reaffirm its leading role, founded on an enviable reputation and high-quality portfolio.
An identity that everyone can toast
The redesign of the visual identity was done in the same spirit. Balthazard represents, above all, a get-together – parents, friends, families – around a glass or a bottle of wine. The new signature perfectly captures this idea with its iconic “B” formed by two clinking glasses.
The arrival of the second generation at the helm of the company was captured in several ways: two font styles in the logo, two typographic weights and two new colours for the brand platform.
The line that joins the two wine cups in the logo acts as a hyphen and is used for simple graphic elements, such as green textured lines that link the brand's visuals like a vine. It accentuates the winemaker’s universe and can be easily applied to the brand’s various channels.
Client
United by wine since 1995, Balthazard offers Quebecers carefully selected wines from family-run estates that share certain core values. Jacques and Andrée Balthazard embarked on this adventure more than 25 years ago, motivated by their passion for wine and a desire to share their discoveries. Now the second generation of importers, Sandrine and Maxime, have taken over from their parents and have grown the brand while staying true to its roots. The goal is the same for all generations of the family: make good wine accessible to all. From private importation to SAQ sales, Balthazard is a family story that can be summed up in three words: authenticity, family and pleasure.
