Branding a fish of legendary quality

Kind has developed the name, visual identity, storytelling and overall branding for ambitious aquaculture company Glitne.

The unique taste and texture of Snow White Halibut from Glitne® is formed by the deep, cold, crystal-clear water of the Sognefjord - a fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers, which are steeped in mythology. This has provided the inspiration for Kind's brand development and for the storytelling used in a major international campaign.

Steeped in legend
No fish is whiter, no fish is firmer, than halibut from the Sognefjord. Nobody knows why this is so – it remains a mystery. Perhaps it is because of the ice-cold and crystal-clear fjord water in which the salty Atlantic Ocean meets the melted glacier ice from the mountains. Or perhaps it is the distinctive natural formations, which are steeped in legend.

Love, light, beauty, happiness
No matter where you are in the world, the gourmet halibut from the Sognefjord will tell you where it comes from. You just have to enjoy the taste and listen to the stories of old. Marvel at the tales of the handsome god Balder and the ugly ogress, about the Vikings Sverre and Magnus who fought each other for Norway’s throne at the Battle of Fimreite. In Norse mythology, Glitne was the home of Forseti, the god of justice. The great hall at Glitne was said to have pillars of gold and a silver ceiling. The fortress is said to have been a gift to Forseti from his father, Balder. Being the god of justice, Forseti would sit by the temple and act as legislator and judge in difficult matters. Both gods and humans would turn to him with legal problems, and Forseti usually managed to arrive at a compromise in difficult cases. But it was his father Balder who was associated with the halibut. People along the coast believed that the halibut was the personification of the wise god Balder. The halibut, shrouded in myth, was ascribed the same qualities as Balder had: love, light, beauty and happiness.

'Very high quality'
Jan Brekke, CEO of Glitne, said: 'We have been working on sustainable land-based fish-farming since 2010. Today, our company delivers a completely unique product. We think about the environment, we use advanced technology, our products are of very high quality and our production takes place in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

'To make sure that the world would learn about and understand our product, we wanted to renew our brand and develop a new communication strategy. We therefore contacted Innovation Norway to seek advice from their brand specialists. They had one piece of advice for us: talk to the branding agency Kind. This advice has proved to be the best I've ever been given. Kind has given us great business advice, developed our new communication strategy, developed the new name and come up with some brilliant storytelling and a unique identity. They have quite simply developed our brand's DNA.

'Our experience is that Kind has taken all our ideas and visions and transformed them into one uniform profile that reflects everything we stand for. We are delighted with the result, which has made it possible for us to reach a new and very exclusive market.'