Friele – rebranding a national icon

When Herman Friele, the abdicated ‘king’ of the Norwegian coffee industry, was planning his new business empire - the Friele Group - Kind was given carte blanche to develop a communication strategy and brand vision. The result is a dynamic visual identity with historical roots. Inspired by the past but with a keen eye on the future, Friele Group, which dates back to 1799, aims to give the market a taste of excellence.

The Friele Group owns a number of properties through real estate company Friele Eiendom, as well as investments managed by Friele Capital. In addition, Friele acquired the company Brynildsen, changing its name to Friele Foods to focus on a new area.

Herman Friele, Chairman of the Board of the Friele Group, said: ‘We wish to underline that we are exceptionally satis ed with our collaboration with Kind. We chose Kind as our adviser and branding partner in a branding process where our activities were positioned under the umbrella of the Friele Group.

'The assignment we gave Kind was, and is, to give these activity areas a common graphic and stylistic profile, taking into account, that the three business areas will communicate actively with their suppliers, customers and partners. It was also part of the assignment to ensure that we have a common Friele ‘umbrella’ that we can identify with.

‘We are also very keen to ensure that our history, which dates all the way back to 1799, forms a positive foundation on which to build the future, a foundation that will instil in us a sense of responsibility and pride, and create opportunities for us. Kind has tackled the assignment in a highly professional and  methodical way, and delivered a clear, simple and distinct profile – with the aids and solutions we need to carry the baton together and succeed in future.

‘We also wish to praise Kind for its good advice, its clear communication and, not least, the good humour they have brought to our collaboration.’