Rifai Nuts goes for brand extension with butters

My first reflex was... What? Then I thought - wait a minute they could be on to something here. Rifai known "passion for nuts since 1948" (apparently this is their signature) is going brand extension with nut butter. As I said, it took me a bit aback but then again there is logic to it. After all, Rifai stores do not only sell their inhouse brand (you can go from regular to ultra upscale), but also majors "gourmet" accoutrements - sweets of many kinds, etc... So going for nut butter, especially when it is claimed to be associated with such a renowned brand is not too far of a stretch (available in almond, pistachio and peanut butter). Also "no additives, plastic free, reusable jar, 20 gram protein per 100 grams, no oil" or so says the small animated ad online (here). Interestingly these come with a line "spread summer joy" - mind you the "spread" (for butter as a double-entendre has been done before) but interesting these are labelled as "summer products" (whereas peanut butter is an all-year long thing in the United States).

Al Rifai goes back to the airport....

Photo source

Al Rifai and the airport... the saga continues. They previously lost to Castania (here), then reacted in a petty way (here), Castania did not care (here). Now it seems they are back at the airport, with an ad right next to it. OK, so I said it before "drives you nuts" was one of the earliest selling lines in Lebanon (here), which they seem to have hankered back on (nut/not)... Is this a good ad? These days with the spending being so minimum low any ad is "visible", but visible does not equate good.

Almaza - Al Rifai team up brings it back full circle.

Many of you are too young to remember that when Al Rifai was first "launched" professionally - we are talking late 80s, its first selling line was "drives you nuts". And it continued using it for a long long time. Which means that this Almaza - Al Rifai one-time combo is basically bringing it 360 - or full circle.

Interestingly, "drives you nuts" was one of the first waves of selling lines (as opposed to slogans) following the lovely "plante la joie" of Exotica. Which means that at the time, few brands actually had "signatures" and it was basically introduced bit by bit into the market.

As a side note the ad above is as cheesy as a fondue.