One that’s festered in plain sight for years and has fooled thousands of like minded shoppers. That expensive fresh fillet of sea bass in your basket, the one which you can’t wait to fry (for the crispy skin of course), well, it isn’t fresh at all, it’s not even close to being fresh.

It’s been caught, flash frozen, defrosted, packed, stacked and chilled on shelf before finding its way into your hands. That convoluted journey can take up to three weeks… Far from the catch-of-the-day feeling. Still hungry?

We think it’s time for 32 Below, the frozen fish brand that’ll take you out of your salmon coloured comfort zone.

32 Below fish are caught in small batches and blast frozen to minus 32 degrees on the spot, offering consumers a viable alternative to the ‘fresh’ lie.

Not only does 32 Below introduce new breeds of fish to your weekly diet outside of the big 5, but it helps to rebalance our oceans by giving the mighty cod an almighty break.

Trust, key to a modern brand, is built via meta tagging, allowing you to see where the fish came from, when it was caught and by what method. Traceable small batch fishing is our way to ensure a great product with real transparency, far from the sector norm of skipping on the details.

Any brand that’s worth it’s salt minimises or avoids using plastic, and 32 Below is no exception. With packaging made from recycled and biodegradable materials and with a long term view to take out as much ocean plastic as we do fish by 2024, we can have an actual measurable positive impact on our coasts.

The pack hangs in the fixture (with a fish shaped hook, obviously), a far cry from the mass of cardboard boxes that fill the freezer cabinets. Whilst frozen fish traditionally sits at the back of the store, neglected and squeezed between deep pan pizzas and a million peas, the 32 Below freezer will sit front and centre in the ‘fresh’ aisle. Not only does this give the consumer an immediate and superior alternative, it gives us a platform to promote our seasonality and sustainability.

The title says it all, but for those still living a white lie, we explicitly state that the real fresh is frozen in big, bold typography. Each SKU gets its own message to paint the bigger picture to the consumer, creating intrigue and sparking debate.

So can 32 Below challenge a category steeped in tradition? It’s not going to be an overnight success but if we spread a bit more truth and help raise awareness to an already climate aware generation, then we’re on the right track.

32 Below is another product of Ape’s rapid prototype brand creation process. Find out more about how we do that here. Or you could always pop in for some (frozen) fish and chips…

If your brand needs developing or you’d like to develop your brand’s challenger mentality, head over to our Gorilla Tactics to find out more.

If time is your constraint, our intensive Ape Sprint can deal with that.