BelOrta

Since 2016, ‘Verbazend plezant’ (Amazingly fun) summed up BelOrta: accessible, friendly communication that helped the brand grow into the top-of-mind fruit and vegetable brand in Belgium. ‘Heerlijk van hier’ (Deliciously local, 2021) underlined local roots and product quality. Today, more than 7 in 10 Belgians know the BelOrta brand.

But there was an important nuance: awareness doesn’t automatically lead to preference. BelOrta was recognised but not always chosen. There wasn’t a deep emotional bond with the brand. People recognised the logo but didn’t always know what the brand truly stood for. That kind of real brand love was missing. And that’s exactly what we wanted to change.

Food choices are becoming more complex and more charged. The pressure to ‘eat well’ is high. Good food now has to be local, tasty, healthy, sustainable and more, all at once.

At the same time, fruit and veg consumption in Belgium is declining, even though people know perfectly well how important healthy eating is. They want to eat better, but run into everyday barriers: time, inspiration and habit. Any excuse will do, right? We cook less, we eat and cook alone more often, and we reach for convenience more quickly.

We consciously choose not to wag a finger. Instead, we put the consumer centre stage and acknowledge today’s reality. BelOrta wants to celebrate the small moments where it does work out: cooking together, eating together, simply enjoying fresh fruit and vegetables. Moments where people come together around BelOrta products and where fresh fruit and veg don’t feel like a duty, but a pleasure.

With this new direction, BelOrta doesn’t just want to be recognisable. It also wants to inspire, encourage and connect. The goal: to not just be top-of-mind, but also top-of-heart.

With the new brand platform ‘Verbonden door smaak’ (Connected by taste), the focus shifts from product to people. From growing to what that growth makes possible. The tomato itself is no longer the main character, the moment it creates is. At the table, in the kitchen, on a random Tuesday evening with your family. From ‘witloof’ to with love.

‘Verbonden door smaak’ is no lucky shot. It’s rooted in in-depth qualitative and quantitative research into how Belgians eat today, how they feel, what they miss. Mealtimes are shared less and more fragmented. People eat apart more often, more with a screen and less with each other. Social connection is paradoxically declining, while the need for connection is growing.

It was also necessary. In a competitive market where fruit brands stand out with playful, attention-grabbing campaigns, ‘fun’ alone is no longer enough. We add meaning to taste. Taste is the starting point, but human connection gets the real starring role. At the table. In the kitchen. With family. With friends. Across generations.

‘Verbonden door smaak’ leans into that on purpose. Taste is the facilitator, but the real power lies – spoiler alert – in the human side. In that glance across the table. In that short talk with your child. In the joy of eating together without fuss. Keep it simple and enjoy.

Where previous brand lines mainly emphasised the product, ‘Verbonden door smaak’ puts people and real moments centre stage. The essence? What you eat only truly matters because of who you share it with.

BelOrta no longer positions itself solely as a supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables, but as an ambassador of genuine connection and meaningful moments.

To make that connection tangible, BelOrta now builds its brand on three emotional foundations: enjoyment, connection and fulfilment. Concrete feelings that consumers can experience every single day.

Enjoyment is the direct pleasure of fresh, flavourful products. Connection is the social side of eating: with each other, with growers and with local traditions. Fulfilment comes from knowing you’re doing something good. For yourself, your family and the world.

By cleverly bundling these three layers, BelOrta moves beyond classic product communication. The brand becomes a guide in everyday life. A brand that thinks along with you, encourages, inspires and makes doing the right thing a little bit easier. Together, these emotions aren’t loose claims, but an experiential structure that firmly anchors the brand in daily life.

Many brands and retailers talk about connection, about sitting around the table together, about warm moments. What makes BelOrta unique is its structure. As a cooperative of local growers, connection isn’t a layer of communication gloss. It’s their daily raison d’être. Connection is built into everything they do: between growers, between growers and retailers, between field and table, between people.

‘Verbonden door smaak’ is an honest translation of who BelOrta is. Where other brands profile themselves with exotic cheerfulness or trendy claims, BelOrta consciously chooses authenticity, closeness and trust. That gives their message a credibility that goes beyond communication alone.

BelOrta wants to be a brand people can feel. Not just on packaging or in campaigns, but at every touchpoint. In store. On social media. At the table. In the fruit and veg aisle.

On the outside, ‘Verbonden door smaak’ takes shape in a new TV campaign (showing how people find each other around food) and comes to life across multiple touchpoints, in imagery full of care, warmth, authenticity and, of course, taste. Our friends at branding studio Lex & Turner have also picked it up: their rebranding work will become visible everywhere in the coming months. Familiar assets such as the iconic ‘O’ and the BelOrta jingle remain but take on a new meaning. The ‘O’ stays an unmistakable and highly recognisable brand asset and now also symbolises connection.

On the inside, the brand line works as a moment of ‘recharging’. It strengthens the sense of pride among growers, employees and partners. It’s not just a new line, but a compass: this is why we do what we do. And what, frankly, we do very well.

With this new brand platform, BelOrta is choosing a direction that reaches further than recognition alone. The brand wants to inspire better habits. Encourage people to eat together more often. Remind them that taste connects. From snack to celebratory meal. From quick and easy to more elaborate. From grower to table. From people to people.

This evolution ties in with changing consumer expectations: people are looking for meaningful brands, now more than ever. Brands that don’t just serve them but connect them. And that fits BelOrta’s identity perfectly.

‘Verbonden door smaak’ doesn’t turn BelOrta into a different brand. It makes it richer and more relevant. A brand for everyone. A brand that chooses meaning and is consciously chosen and preferred in return.