Pilipili

Pilipili: Spicing up brands across the world

TEXT: ANNA VILLELEGER | PHOTOS © PILIPILI

With clients ranging from local artisans to huge international names, Pilipili Agency in Namur does branding with a difference. Small but powerful, just like the chilli pepper that embodies its company logo, Pilipili offers personalised expertise in every aspect of branding, from the logo and packaging, to digital communication and much more – all at an affordable price.

It would be easy to reel off a long list of impressive, big name clients who have made the most of Pilipili’s skilfulness in branding, but as managing director Pierre Janssens explains, that is just not what the company is about.

“We have as much love for small, local brands as we do for the big names we work with,” he smiles. “Whether you are an up-and-coming artisan or a renowned multinational, you will get the same quality service.”

Simple yet impactful

Pierre Janssens and his passionate team offer a comprehensive approach, from initial ideas and concept through to production. Clients range from cosmetic brands to cleaning products, not to mention iconic names in food and drink such as Leonidas luxury chocolates and the well-loved children’s soft drink Kidibul. “They came to us looking for a new, more grown-up character to use as their mascot,” recalls Pierre Janssens. Pilipili created a new design for Kidibul’s instantly recognisable crocodile mascot, complete with a fresh new look for the beverage’s packaging. Simple yet impactful, the finished design is a great example of a strong brand identity created by Pilipili.

Different spice levels

The same could be said for Pilipili’s own distinctive chilli pepper logo. “We are a small team, but we’re going to spice up your project,” grins the managing director. The simple yet stylish design also reflects Pilipili’s versatility. “We adapt to our clients,” adds Pierre Janssens. “We can come up with crazy ideas, or more serious ones. Like chilli peppers, we can be strong or mild, and offer a mixture of different spice levels.”

Versatile

Pilipili pride themselves on offering their clients plenty of choice. Take packaging, for example: where some agencies may offer variations of a similar design, the team at Pilipili always offer a range of completely different options. “We recently won a contract with an international client to whom we gave six completely different options – some more classic, some more fun, some more ‘design’…They had difficulty choosing just one as they loved them all!”

Affordable

Aside from their creativity and flexibility, the team at Pilipili also stands out from the crowd thanks to their diminutive size. “Being a small team allows us to be far more reactive than larger firms. Part of our success comes from not having the fixed costs of being a large structure. It means prices can remain affordable for our clients, giving them a high-quality service for better value. For example, we don’t charge ‘per hour’ and it is common for us to work all night for our clients. We’re very flexible.”

An extensive creative network

Adapting to the needs of the client is key at Pilipili, and if a larger team is required, they can count on their extensive network of talented freelancers from across Europe. “We work with a lot of talented local designers from our area. It’s great to make use of all the talent in the region,” smiles Pierre Janssens. Designers from further afield work from home, while others come to the company’s headquarters in Namur to work. “We moved here two years ago,” says Pierre Janssens, of he and his team’s stylish ‘industrial chic’ work environment. “The last thing we wanted was an austere looking office, we wanted somewhere where everyone would feel at ease. This is much more conducive to creativity.”

Digital communication

In addition to their expertise in the fields of branding and packaging, Pilipili can help with communicating brands via social networks and the internet. Once again, they have an honest, flexible and affordable approach. “Many large companies charge a great deal to design a website, but a functional and attractive website doesn’t need to cost a fortune,” points out Pierre Janssens.

Lasting relationships

“We share website management with our clients, meaning they have access and can modify it themselves if they want to. However, if they find that difficult, we can do it for them. If it’s just a small change, we won’t even charge for doing it. Some people might say, ‘why don’t you make the client pay?’: but to us, this way is much more honest – and logical. It leads to long lasting relationships with our clients, because they know they can trust us.”

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