BACKGROUND / CHALLENGE:
Founded in 1961 by Elpidio Núñez Sr, an exiled Cuban immigrant determined to find a brighter future, Northwestern Selecta has since grown to become the leading food distributor in Puerto Rico and one of the largest Hispanic-owned businesses in the US. Headquartered in San Juan, PR, NW Selecta’s main facility includes over 175,000 square feet of refrigerated storage space and over 15 million pounds of product on hand, as well as refrigerated docks and staging areas to ensure distribution and guaranteed delivery within 24 hours anywhere in Puerto Rico.
The business is now run by Mr. Núñez’s grandchildren–who continue to grow the company with the same commitment to quality–making it a true 3rd-generation enterprise.
In 2019, NW Selecta sought WANT’s assistance to help refresh one of their existing brands (“NuMeat”), as well as create a new, premium deli brand of meats and cheeses.
SOLUTION:
Our first step was to have multiple conversations with the third-generation owners, to ensure that the family’s vision and ideals for the brand were adhered to. Then, starting with NuMeat, we explored a variety of new identity options, as well as the benefits/drawbacks of merely updating the identity vs. creating something entirely new. After much exploration and discussion, it was decided that the original look would be retained. Accordingly, the identity was updated to make it more modern, with better proportions and reproducibility.
We then set off to create a new premium deli brand, which would compete with other well-established brands. One of the criteria for creating a name was to leverage the family name Núñez, which was already well-known in the industry. After exploring many options, a final name was chosen that fit the premium concept while also using the family name: Núñez Reserve.
When we began creating the identity, the family asked that we explore options that paid homage to the heritage of Puerto Rico. After exploring dozens of historical details and landmarks, a final design was created that included an outline of the famous San Juan Bautista Cathedral–the oldest church in the United States, dating back to the 1500s–one of Puerto Rico’s most famous and recognized landmarks. Since Núñez Reserve would appeal to a new audience, we also added the established date of the company (1961) to the mark in order to reinforce the fact of their knowledge and experience.
OUTCOME:
The refreshed NuMeat and Núñez Reserve brands were launched in June 2020, to coincide with a refresh of the NW Selecta brand itself. NuMeat continues to be one of Puerto Rico’s most well-recognized meat brands, while the Núñez Reserve brand is slated to launch in Puerto Rico later in 2020 and throughout the US shortly thereafter.