A new apple brand called amélie has hit the slopes of Italy's Val Venosta region this season as its creator, the VI.P Consortium, looks to establish two distinct marketing strategies for its apples.
The amélie trademark will be used in conjunction with VI.P's existing Val Venosta brand, known for its distinctive ladybird and Ortler mountain motifs, in an effort to identify the entire production chain for apples in the valley and distinguish fruit according to class.
By adding amélie as a second brand, the consortium is aiming to make a clear and precise distinction between class one and class two apples.
With its strong references to the place of origin and the region's values, such as tradition, quality and respect for the environment, the Val Venosta mark will now be used exclusively for class one apples, specifically those that have excellent shape, size and colour.
The new brand, meanwhile, will identify class two fruit. According to the marketer, the name amélie has been chosen precisely because it makes no reference to source. Instead, it is a name which will be immediately familiar and easy to recall, both for its association with the recent feature film 'The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain' and for the fact that it contains the word 'mela', meaning apple in Italian.
To underline the distinction between class one and two on a visual level, amélie-branded apples will sport a newly created label bearing the name in fuchsia and bright green, colours which are completely in contrast to the Val Venosta branding.
Despite the differences between the two brands, however, amélie also guarantees respect for VI.P's highest quality standards, says the group. All varieties marketed under the amélie trademark, though they may not be perfect from a visual perspective, will offer the same exceptional organoleptic and quality characteristics that have always marked out apple production in the valley, said a spokesperson.
'It should be remembered that apples grow in natural surroundings here in the Val Venosta, and being open to the elements there is always the possibility that some of them may show one or two minor external defects,' comments Josef Wielander, director of VI.P. 'What we wanted to underline in creating an inviting and attractive brand like amélie was that these apples can also offer the highest organoleptic and nutritional quality. Given the excellent response we've had, this has proven to be a winning decision; people like amélie, because it is a brand that is clearly distinguished and is easy to remember.'
Apple harvesting is now underway in Val Venosta, with an estimated 277,000 tonnes of the fruit set to be available this season.
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