Nestlé is expanding its relationship with independent creative agency Courage, awarding AOR assignments on several more of its brands in response to success with Nescafé.

The expanding relationship follows the launch of “Jars” for the Nescafé brand during this year’s Super Bowl broadcast. The campaign, which was Courage’s first work to draw international recognition, “showcased our ability to do good work on the brand,” explains Niki Sahni, partner and president at the agency.

So, when Nestlé’s other brands started to think about activating again in the Canadian marketplace, Courage was a logical partner. As such, the agency has taken on assignments for Boost, Coffee Mate, San Pellegrino, Turtles and Kit Kat.

While “it’s exciting for us to work on these brands, big and small,” Sahni says, the agency especially enjoys the opportunity to work on “iconic brands” such as Kit Kat and San Pellegrino – she points to work the agency has done not only for Nescafé, but also KFC and CIBC, as examples.

“That’s a space we love to play in,” she adds, because co-founders Dhaval Bhatt and Joel Holtby “are constantly thinking about how you can use those brand icons to speak to people in a meaningful way.”

The work for Turtles will be the first to appear in market as the brand plans to launch a holiday campaign, Sahni says – a return to market for the brand.

“They haven’t been in market in a meaningful way for a number of years,” she adds. “For us, we’re thinking of how we can relaunch the brand this year for a new generation. When they think about Turtles as a holiday ritual, it’s something their aunt, uncle or another family member did. How can we recreate that ritual meaningfully for them?”

Also in the works is a refresh for Nestlé’s Boost brand, which will start with a relaunch of the masterbrand before delving into specific products in its line “to see how they can expand or target different potential audiences,” Sahni says.

One such example is Boost Diabetic, which traditionally has been marketed to people living with that health condition. However, the brand has discovered that many drinkers aren’t diabetic at all – they’re simply seeking a low-carb option amid the busy protein supplement category.

“They’ve had key realizations like that throughout their portfolio,” explains Sahni.

Overall, the work that Courage will bring forward on the Nestlé brands will aim to “expand what the brands mean to people,” she adds, sharing a story of how some weeks ago, Courage staff were singing the Kit Kat jingle when Bhatt chimed in to say how it hadn’t had relevance for him as someone who had immigrated to Canada when he was 20.

“These iconic elements can mean things for some people that they don’t mean to others,” Sahni says. “So we are thinking of interesting ways to play with things and create new meaning for a generation not familiar with them, or an audience who wasn’t born here. How can we create meaning for them?”