Client: Sanatarium (Australia)
Markets: Australia & New Zealand
Scope: Brand Strategy & Positioning, Naming, Brand Language & Tone,
Brand Identity, Packaging Design.
Sector: Food & Beverage | Challenger Brand | Plant-Based

New Brand Launch: Sales Grow to Over $80 Million in 4 Years

Not just another alt-milk. A category challenger with a purpose.
The Alternative Dairy Co. wasn’t launching a product. They were launching a rebellion.

In a market packed with generic plant-based milks, they needed to stand out-not just on shelf, but in the hearts and hands of baristas. This wasn’t about mass-market appeal. It was about earning a place behind the espresso machine and becoming the go-to alt-milk for Australia and New Zealand’s café culture.

Sanitarium tapped us to bring this challenger to life from the ground up-strategy, name, voice, identity, packaging, the works. The brief was clear: build a brand with story, edge, and a damn good reason to believe.

How we made it happen:
We built The Alternative Dairy Co. around a simple insight: baristas don’t just serve coffee, they serve experiences. So we crafted a brand that spoke their language, showed up with confidence, and earned credibility by being different, not derivative.

Strategic positioning anchored in purpose and performance
A bold, unmistakable visual identity built to pop on café counters and shelf
A brand tone that was direct, spirited, and made for the trade
Packaging design that stood tall against boutique indie players, without pretending to be one

The result? A distinct, high-performance brand that’s now the #1 plant-based milk in cafés across Australia and New Zealand. From launch to leadership, we helped turn a crowded category into an opportunity—and built a brand that’s not just in cafés, but at the front of the line.

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Air Tahiti Nui

Mataura Valley Milk – a2 Milk Corporation

The Steelworks
3/13 Coles Avenue, Mt. Eden
Auckland 1024, New Zealand
+64 9 35 85 692
colin@friction.co.nz
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Based in Auckland New Zealand, I work with brands throughout Australasia, The Pacific and Asia.