Laila introduces elephant motif on pack to highlight charity partnership

Laila introduces elephant motif on pack to highlight charity partnership

Top 3 UK rice brand Laila is rolling out a major rebrand, introducing an elephant motif on pack to mark its support of elephant conservation work.

Laila is gearing up for the soft roll out of its latest packaging, featuring a new, ornate elephant design – symbolic of the brand’s South-Asian heritage. The henna-style design is a blend of several motifs relating to nature, from rice grains and lentils to the life-nurturing sun and spiritual lotus flower.

The new design is a unique celebration of Laila’s South Asian heritage and its focus on natural, wholesome food products, as well as its partnership with Born Free.

Laila is now into its second year of partnering with the international wildlife charity Born Free and is currently donating a penny per bag of its rice sold during Diwali month (November 2023) to help raise thousands of pounds for the charity’s global elephant conservation work. Laila wants to make Diwali, which takes place on November 12th this year, a key time for a UK audience to focus its attention on the plight of elephants globally. Elephants are being driven to the brink of extinction, with the Asian elephant at significant risk. The Asian elephant is classified as ‘Endangered’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

It is also working with influencers on a Delicious Diwali campaign, to encourage the nation to enjoy tasty South Asian cuisine, to mark the festival of lights – which celebrates the universal themes of love, light and faith. As part of the campaign, Laila is gifting thousands of its elephant soft toys (as left) to children’s hospitals and hospices around the country, including The Evelina London and Birmingham Children’s Hospital, among many others.

The campaign will feature activity across Laila’s digital and social media platforms, including competitions and fun educational Diwali downloads for children, as well as a national Rangoli art competition aimed at UK school children.

Speaking about the rebrand and the inspiration behind the Born Free partnership, Surya Foods Managing Director, Harry Dulai, said: “The Laila brand has a rich heritage which we wanted to fully embrace with our latest pack designs. It is important to us to support the communities that we work in and protect the natural environment. We were shocked to learn the worldwide elephant population has halved in just a few decades. Farming can lead to conflict with elephants, so we wanted to support work that is all about human co-existence with these magnificent creatures. We are proud to support Born Free’s vital work which is focused on enabling people and elephants to live together without conflict.”

As part of the rebrand, Laila is also introducing a major focus on healthy eating messaging.

Harry added: “We are aware the incidence of diabetes and heart disease is disproportionately higher in the UK’s South Asian communities. We want to be at the heart of a food revolution offering tips and advice on how to make South Asian cuisine as healthy as possible with simple ‘vegetable boosts’ and ‘healthy swaps’. We are keen to promote the benefits of scratch cooking and highlight how wholesome and healthy Indian cuisine can be.”

Laila will be working with influencers throughout the year to highlight the health benefits of scratch cooking and how easy it can be, as well as how buying rice in big bag formats offers great savings during the current cost of living crisis.

The rebrand is in line with parent company Surya Foods broader sustainability programme which it launched in 2022 - a three pillar approach across: People, Products and Planet. It marks a significant shift to sustainability becoming a corporate priority for the UK-based global food giant.

The Laila rice range features its top-selling classic basmati, together with an extensive line up of popular rice varieties from around the world. Expanding rapidly in recent years the Laila brand spans classic store cupboard staples including a complete range of flours, pulses, grains, ghee butter, pickles, spices and curry pastes.

The full Laila brand has an estimated, annual retail value of £70m and enjoys a leading presence at UK national and independent retail as well as being sold in over 30 countries worldwide.

Consumers can access Surya Food’s full sustainability pledge via this link