Problem
Outside of New Orleans, Zatarain’s is just another dry goods brand in a crowded grocery store.
Opportunity
Zatarain’s has a unique opportunity to make cooking and eating a Zatarain’s meal a true New Orleans experience. They have been an authority in New Orleans flavors since 1889 and can leverage this authenticity and knowledge of Cajun and Creole to provide a dinner unlike any other.
Strategy
In New Orleans, cooking is the event and eating is the celebration. This informed our design decisions to ensure that cooking with Zatarain’s truly is a celebration.
Objective
To make cooking and eating a Zatarain’s meal more of an event and celebration, we wanted to make it more of on occasion, a Cajun Occasion. Just like a Taco Tuesday, we asked ourselves, how might we create an experience that inspires people to have a Cajun Occasion?
Product design
Zatarain’s + Spotify Playlists
So how can we bring the spirit of New Orleans into the kitchen and create an occasion?
Introducing, Spotify playlists that are curated to each Zatarain’s meal. These multi-media playlists are narrated by famous Cajun chefs who guide the consumer throughout the entire cooking process and provide step-by-step instructions, tips, tricks, and historical facts about the dishes and culture. And since this is a recipe with pre-determined wait times between each step, we queue up and play authentic New Orleans music to act as cooking timers.
Goals
Bring the spirit of New Orleans into the kitchen.
Guide the consumer through the cooking process.
Make cooking with Zatarain's truly a celebration.
Playlists curated for each meal
To make the playlists easily accessible, we took advantage of the new Spotify Code feature. Each Zatarain’s meal will have its own unique Spotify Code on the back of the packaging. This code takes the consumer directly to the playlist for their meal.
Narrated by famous cajun chefs
Instead of reading plain instructions, what if you were taught by master chefs instead? Each playlist features a famous Cajun chef guiding the consumer through the recipe step-by-step.
PLAY ME
Step-by-step instructions
In addition to the printed recipe on the back of the box, consumers can also be led through each step of the process through voiceover by famous Cajun chefs. Additional info about each step can also be presented in the playlist itself, allowing consumers to read the steps and backtrack as necessary.
Tips & tricks
The chefs will also provide tips and tricks for certain techniques when they arise throughout the cooking process. And utilizing Spotify’s Rap Genius ecosystem, we can also provide the consumer with additional text instructions and even photos to guide them further.
Contextual information
Consumers will also receive contextual and historical facts and information regarding the specific meal they’re cooking or New Orleans culture in general.
Songs as timers
In New Orleans, food and music are ingrained in the culture, there is no gathering or party with just one and not the other. And what’s a playlist without music? Throughout the playlist is authentic New Orleans music timed perfectly to the wait times between each step in the recipe.
My role
As part of a large team and a larger brand rework, myself and Tyler King, were responsible for the redesigning the experience of cooking a Zatarain’s meal. We created the application of the Spotify playlists to be integrated into the cooking process. I also assisted in the total brand redesign from the strategy and positioning statement to the logo and package design
Group members
Eliza Hadjis, ST
Tyler King, XD
Clayton Notestine, CW
Mike Rodriguez, AD
Jennifer Root, CBM
