Australian frozen desserts specialist Sara Lee, established in the 1970s, has just staged a comeback, with a brand refresh.
The reboot, across strategy, positioning, brand identity and packaging design, has delivered commercial momentum just 18 months after entering voluntary administration.
Brand transformation studio Disegno spearheaded the project to reimagine Sara Lee for a new generation.
New owners Klark and Brooke Quinn acquired the brand in January 2024 out of administration and appointed Disegno to lead a rethink of what Sara Lee could stand for.
At the heart is the platform "Tastes Like Home". Disegno used this as the springboard for a brand system that balances modernity with familiarity.
"Consumers never fell out of love with the product — the brand just stopped showing up with the same clarity and pride," said Aaron Turner, head of strategy at Disegno.
"Our job was to bring it back with relevance, consistency and purpose."
The new identity reclaims Sara Lee's signature red and amplifies it with a brandmark. Photography has been overhauled, shifting from artificial swirls to food imagery that evokes appetite and emotional warmth. A streamlined pack architecture improves navigation, while a re-energised tone of voice reconnects the brand to life's moments.
"We approached this with equal parts respect and boldness," said Natasha Pandji, creative director at Disegno.
"There's something deeply familiar about Sara Lee that Australians connect with — our work was about protecting that emotional truth while creating a identity that can grow and flex across categories for the future."
The new brand look began appearing in freezers across Australia in March 2025. Retailers reported increased visibility and stronger shopper engagement, while independent consumer testing via Mintel confirmed improvements in appetite appeal, quality perception and brand trust.
Sara Lee has expanded beyond frozen desserts into the bakery category for the first time, with the launch of a croissant range.
"The bold red pack has become a springboard, opening up new categories, channels and possibilities," said Klark and Brooke Quinn.
"It's instantly recognisable and distinctive enough to cut through, even in completely new retail environments.
“If we'd tried that with the old pack, we'd have faded into the noise of every other commodity bakery brand."
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