Sustainable Blue, based on the shores of the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada aims to help change that, says CEO Kirk Havercroft. “When we set out to create the world’s most responsible salmon fishery, our goal was not just to reduce the typical problems that come with farming fish – our mission was to go one better.”

Customers are taking note. Increasing demand sees the company expanding their production footprint to accommodate rapid growth in markets across Canada and the Eastern US. With that growth came the need for a rebrand that communicates what makes their product unique. As Havercroft says, “one of the challenges in our industry is that it’s hard for consumers to determine the origin of their fish – as the saying goes, the brand washes off the fish. That was the challenge we asked District to solve for us.”

District led an in-depth process involving stakeholders and customers, as well as market and product research. The key insight? Unlike most aquaculture operations, Sustainable Blue salmon are raised in a land-based saltwater fishery that features a world first – instead of wastewater being discharged back to the environment, all of their water is cleaned and cycled back into the system. The solid waste is filtered out and used to generate electricity, creating a closed-cycle system that requires zero antibiotics and zero growth hormones.

According to Tyson Hynes, Director of Creative Strategy at District, “By using nature as a template, Sustainable Blue salmon actually look, feel and taste just like wild Atlantic salmon which is what inspired our positioning statement, ‘It’s wild how we raise our salmon.’ The rebrand took inspiration from the natural cycles of the ocean while celebrating the human passion that makes Sustainable Blue the world’s most responsibly raised salmon.”

Gord Morrison, District’s Director of Built & Research, agrees. Says Morrison, “Sustainable Blue has spent decades developing their innovative closed-loop land-based fishery – so it’s a technology story, but one that’s ultimately about nature and our place in it. They’ve really created something amazing.”

The re-brand includes a new logo and brand identity, along with a revamped website, promotional videos – shot with documentary filmmakers Mirror Image Media –photography, packaging and marketing assets, all supporting Sustainable Blue’s move into new Canadian and US markets.

Says Havercroft, “We’ve been getting lots of really positive feedback from both the website and the video, from customers, distribution partners and shareholders. It feels perfectly timed with our growth. As a side note, one of our employees loves the new logo so much she’s actually planning to get it as a tattoo!”