Johnny's Barbeque Buddies

Background / Insight

Johnny's is currently the market leader in mustard in Sweden – the result of rapid product and market development, combined with long-term brand building. Despite its established position as a market leader, Johnny's has managed to maintain its image as a challenger – a love brand with a strong, playful identity. Against this backdrop, a clear growth opportunity was identified: to expand the product portfolio with a focus on grill-friendly flavorings. Insight studies on brand, category, and audience clearly showed that Johnny's has greater potential than its current product range reflects.

Positioning / Strategy

Staying true to Johnny’s unique tone of voice and characteristic sense of humor, the concept "Barbeque Buddies" was launched – a playful and flavorful range of BBQ sauces, rubs, and chips, designed to elevate the shared moments around the grill – before, during, and after. Rooted in both music and grill culture, the concept entered a highly competitive category dominated by strong, established brands.

The bold and cheeky visual identity built further on Johnny’s existing brand platform and proved to be a key factor behind one of Kavli’s most successful product launches to date.