Wait, Sargento Makes Crackers Now? Not Exactly

Sargento’s known for cheese, not crackers. But when we spotted “Cheese Bakes” in Chicago, we had questions. Is it a cracker? Is it cheese? And what does Nabisco have to do with it?

Description

Brand extensions only work when trust transfers seamlessly, and that’s where this execution creates friction. At first glance, the product signals cheese, not crackers. The name, visuals, and dominant cues all lean heavily into cheese equity, leaving the actual product format unclear.

That confusion matters. Shoppers rely on quick recognition, and if they can’t immediately tell what the product is, they hesitate or move on. This is a core issue in food packaging design, where clarity must come before creativity.

The second challenge is brand credibility. A cheese brand entering crackers raises a natural question: Should I trust this product? The answer exists, but it’s buried. The involvement of a well-known snack manufacturer reframes the entire proposition, yet that reassurance isn’t clearly communicated upfront.

From a strategic standpoint, this is a smart play leveraging cheese authority to differentiate in a crowded cracker space. But the execution misses an opportunity to connect the dots for the consumer.

Strong packaging design ideas don’t just introduce something new, they remove doubt instantly. Here, a clearer product cue and more visible endorsement would turn hesitation into confidence at the shelf.

Video Transcript

00:00:00 Why would I trust Sento to make a good
00:00:02 cracker? They've never made a cracker
00:00:03 before.
00:00:06 Hey guys. Hey. We're shopping in
00:00:10 Chicago. This is Megan. I'm Christy. And
00:00:13 I see something new. And this is what we
00:00:16 got. We have new from Sarento cheese
00:00:20 bags. I noticed at first I was kind of
00:00:22 scanning the store from this spot and I
00:00:24 noticed these two guys and I'm like, why
00:00:26 do I care about them? I'm going to come
00:00:28 in. And of course I know Serento is
00:00:31 cheese, but then I noticed at first I
00:00:33 thought these were cheese, but I'm like,
00:00:34 wait a minute, they're crackers. And
00:00:35 that's my very first critique is I don't
00:00:38 think it's that clear that it's a
00:00:39 cracker. That's called a cheese bake.
00:00:41 That could be anything. There's a cheese
00:00:44 chunk. This could also just be another
00:00:46 cheese chunk. I don't know that it's
00:00:48 that obvious that it's a cracker. The
00:00:50 other thing I noticed, check this out,
00:00:51 Megan. And I was like, why would I trust
00:00:53 Sarento to make a good cracker? They've
00:00:55 never made a cracker before. They've
00:00:56 made cheese. Then I noticed
00:01:00 it's a new look for Nabiscoco on there.
00:01:02 But I was like, "Oh, oh, this totally
00:01:04 changes the story." This is not made by
00:01:06 Sarento. It's actually made by
00:01:07 Nabiscoco. So probably what happened is
00:01:10 >> it's still fier.
00:01:12 >> Well, Sarento is,
00:01:14 >> but I think what happened is Nabiscoco,
00:01:17 let's see, see distributed by Manderly.
00:01:20 This product is actually a Manderly
00:01:23 product. Manderly made it and they are
00:01:26 simply licensing the Serento brand and
00:01:30 real cheese is the number one
00:01:31 ingredient. So there you go. Literally
00:01:33 it says it right here. So Gento and our
00:01:35 family's passionate cheese are
00:01:36 trademarks of Sergento used under
00:01:38 license. So this is actually Manderly
00:01:42 through their Nabiscoco Beu licensing
00:01:45 Sarento's credibility and cheese to
00:01:49 launch a different type of cheese snack.
00:01:53 What's so interesting is this is the
00:01:54 same company that owns Chee It and Ritz
00:01:58 and why wouldn't they just use those or
00:02:01 mention any of those on here? Maybe none
00:02:03 of them had the credibility in cheese to
00:02:06 deliver. So, that's a thought. We'll see
00:02:08 how these do. I haven't seen these yet
00:02:10 in Colorado. This is It's one of the
00:02:12 reasons I like coming to Chicago is
00:02:14 because Chicago gets the new innovation
00:02:16 almost earlier than anybody else. It's
00:02:18 often a test market for America. Are you
00:02:21 going to buy it?
00:02:22 >> Yes, I would. I'm
00:02:24 >> Yes, you would.
00:02:25 >> I want this one.
00:02:26 >> Aged white cheddar and rosemary.
00:02:28 >> That's the one I picked. I'm buying
00:02:29 this. Let's see how it tastes. Okay.

Packaging design case studies: Tree Top boosted parent trust and kid appeal with new packaging.

Mary Marnell Director of Content & Marketing

24 Articles

A seasoned veteran in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industry, Jason Vaught brings a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience as the director of content and marketing for SmashBrand. His comprehensive role at the forefront of brand communication ensures that CPG brands remain well-informed about the suite of services SmashBrand offers. Furthermore, his insights derived from the company's strategy, design, and testing services are invaluable to brand owners and managers seeking expert guidance.

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