Today’s guest is Sadrah Schadel, founder and CEO of No Evil Foods, a nationwide plant-based protein company that she and her life partner started in their kitchen in 2014 with just $5000. After a few major hurdles which we discuss during today’s episode, they got to a point where they were weeks away from running out of money and having to shut their doors.

Tune in to hear about the rise, fall, and recent rebrand of No Evil Foods!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Factors that inspired Sadrah and her life partner, Mike, to found No Evil Foods.
• An overview of the journey of No Evil Foods from Sadrah and Mike’s kitchen in upstate New York to a nationwide plant-based meat provider.
• Factors that are foundational to the company culture at No Evil Foods, and the award they won as a result!
• Major hurdles that No Evil Foods has been presented with over the past few years. 
• Sadrah shares the challenges they experienced during the process of scaling their manufacturing. 
• How No Evil Foods differs from many other plant-based protein brands.
• Lessons that Sadrah learned through dealing with her employees’ desire to form a union.
• The value of being transparent and showing vulnerability as a leader.
• The rebranding that No Evil Foods has recently undergone.
• Valuable advice for other entrepreneurs. 

Read the transcript and find links from the episode at Brands for a Better World.

The Brands for a Better World podcast (formerly Evolve CPG) is hosted by Gage Mitchell, founder (CEO) and Creative Director at Modern Species, a sustainable brand design agency helping better-for-the-world brand launch, evolve, and grow to scale their impact.

To help us explore this topic, we are joined by Alicia Lahey, Co-Founder and CEO of Humble Snacks, Canada’s first organic potato chip packaged in 100% plastic-free, compostable bags. We discuss Alicia’s experience in big food, why she and her husband made the shift to a more sustainable lifestyle, and why she didn’t want to launch her own brand unless it came in better packaging, plus so much more.

To find out how you can continue to innovate in the natural and organic snack category and ensure that your packaging mirrors the philosophy of your brand, you won’t want to miss today’s episode!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Some of the challenges that come with adopting sustainable packaging solutions.
• Why Alicia and her husband were so committed to creating eco-friendly bags.
• Lessons learned from SunChips’ infamously noisy packaging.
• A look at Humble’s partnership with A Plastic Planet to develop their plastic-free bag.
• The importance of investing in plastic-free or plastic-neutral initiatives.
• Limitations of compostable packaging and how Humble seeks to solve them.
• How proving sustainable packaging successful will move the needle for larger brands.
• Alicia’s take on the future of better snacking (and where there’s room for innovation).
• Other product categories that Humble will expand into in the future.
• The inspiration behind their ‘humble’ brand name.
• Why communication is key when working with your spouse in your family business!
• Hurdles Alicia and her husband had to overcome to get their product on shelves.
• Valuable fundraising tips for other purpose-over-profit founders.
• Identifying (and filling) a gap in the market for organic, light, crispy, skin-on potato chips.
• Insight into Alicia’s research and development process for Humble Snacks.
• How Alicia found her way into the CPG industry, starting with driving a truck!

Read the transcript and find links from the episode at Brands for a Better World.

The Brands for a Better World podcast (formerly Evolve CPG) is hosted by Gage Mitchell, founder (CEO) and Creative Director at Modern Species, a sustainable brand design agency helping better-for-the-world brand launch, evolve, and grow to scale their impact.

Collaborating closely with the creative minds at Mrs&Mr La Colombe’s new visual identity pays tribute to the coffee roaster’s rich graphic tradition while infusing it with a contemporary twist. Highlights of the redesign include a revamped wordmark, meticulously hand-drawn to evoke a vintage charm and a renewed sense of pride and authenticity. The iconic dove emblem, symbolic of La Colombe’s pioneering spirit, has been reinvented to exude uplift and forward momentum, reflecting the brand’s commitment to innovation. Accentuating La Colombe’s core values, this rebrand resonates throughout every aspect of its identity – from the logo and packaging to the café ambiance and retail presence.

“We created a refreshed brand look to honor La Colombe’s powerful heritage and simplicity, seamlessly tying together the brand experience in products and cafes,” said Chobani Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Hamdi Ulukaya. “The result is a beautiful reflection of our premium offering, thanks to our deep, creative collaboration with Kate and Daniel of Mrs&Mr over many months to get it just right.”

To complement the brand’s evolution, Mrs&Mr introduced a bespoke typeface. Inspired by industrial fonts, Draft Latte Sans is infused with a human touch, mirroring the artisanal craftsmanship that defines La Colombe’s products. The refreshed color palette, featuring warm tones and creamy hues, invites consumers to indulge in a sensory experience.

The refreshed identity comes together in the Draft Latte packaging, where every detail conveys a sense of authenticity and quality. The can’s base color, now a luscious cream tone, echoes the freshness of farm-fresh milk, while the enlarged logo and subtle drop shadow ensure maximum shelf presence. The curvature of the Draft Latte logo mimics an overflow of froth, while the addition of ‘ESTD 1994’ proudly showcases La Colombe’s 30-year legacy in the coffee industry.

“All of this culminates in a design system that reflects the heritage, craft, and quality that La Colombe puts into every aspect of their coffee experience,” said Kate Wadia, Founder and Creative Director of Mrs&Mr.

The collaboration between the Mrs&Mr team, Chobani’s leadership, and La Colombe’s CMO, Kathryn O’Connor, has created a visual identity that honors the brand’s legacy and paves the way for a new era of coffee experiences.

As people interact with La Colombe, they can expect flavors and experiences crafted with passion and dedication. With the launch of the Draft Latte line and the unveiling of its refreshed look, La Colombe invites coffee enthusiasts to savor every sip and embrace the artistry behind each can.

Despite recent glimmers of hope, the economic situation in the UK continues to be challenging. One in four UK families said they were regularly running out of cash for essentials, as double-digit inflation, high energy bills, and soaring mortgage rates hit British consumers in the most severe cost of living crisis in living memory.

While headline figures in the US look more impressive, the reality for many people has been just as tough. Incomes have stagnated for many, credit card debt is at a record $1.13 trillion, and 65% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

How do brands respond? This has been a key question for the drinks brands we represent in Denomination’s London and San Francisco studios. In a tough economy, brands need to work even harder to maintain market share, revenue, and margin and they’re looking for ideas on how to achieve that.

For many brands, the answer has been simple: emphasize affordability. And for a great many, it works. Sales of own-label products in the UK rose nearly 12% in 2023. Target has just introduced Dealworthy, its cheapest-ever range, all costing under $10. In most markets, new, cheaper entrants have done well—look at the success of Shein or Temu in the fashion industry.

For every successful downshifter, many brands fail to gain traction at the lower price point, losing revenue as well as margin. Simply shifting down to a basic proposition does not mean you no longer need to stand out, connect with the consumer, and become a valuable part of their lives.

Value is Relative

In drinks, we’ve seen sales of sparkling wines soar, but not everyone can afford to spend £60 on a single bottle of bubbles. Instead, cremants and proseccos — great quality, delicious, and affordable alternatives to classic champagne — satisfy people’s desire for a sophisticated, bubbly celebration. The Della Vite range from the Delavigne sisters is an excellent example of a brand creating a more premium perception of prosecco whilst offering value compared to champagne.

It’s not only the start-ups that can do this; long-established brands can, too. Gordon’s recent redesign drags it from the back of the cupboard, dusts it off, and reimagines it as a contemporary, even funny, brand that everyone can afford. Just as Waitrose did all the years ago when it renamed its basic range Essentials, Gordon’s is finding ways to help people feel good about making the democratic choice.

What people see as valuable is changing. Where once we ascribed value to conspicuous consumption, today it is as often found in alignment with core values such as sustainability and equity.

The New Luxury

There’s something more fundamental at work here too. What people see as valuable is changing. Where once we ascribed value to conspicuous consumption, today it is as often found in alignment with core values such as sustainability and equity.

So, Method’s refill system doesn’t feel like a penny-pinching choice – we pick it for its environmental impact. In the same way, people choose Wise Wolf from our client Accolade Wines at £10 to £12 for its disruptive, stylish look and feel, fall in love with the fact it’s 100% recyclable, and don’t feel like they’re missing out on a more expensive bottle. “I took a chance on this wine and I’m glad I did,” says one Sainsbury’s review. “The bottle was unique and looked high-end and the wine was great value for money.”

Others are using language cleverly: lighter variants emphasizing ingredients, fruity waters relaunching as infusions, seltzers highlighting refreshment and calorie reduction. The London Essence Company is doing this brilliantly with its tonics, positioning them less as a dilution and more as an addition.

Finally, we’re seeing some clever innovations around format. Wine boxes are less expensive but also more sustainable in terms of environmental impact, drink longevity, and portion control. Equally, it would be far cheaper to buy the ingredients for Moth’s can-only cocktails and make them yourself, but if you’re looking for an affordable alternative to a night out and you only want to buy one or two, then they’re a great option that doesn‘t feel like a sacrifice.

The Harder Path

Value need not be synonymous with basic. There are brands in drinks and beyond that are putting in the effort, and leading the way. We recommend working to understand what would bring value to your consumers’ lives beyond a simple price reduction.

Gaining that strategic insight isn’t easy – but as tough economic times persist, people will find their way to brands that are not only less expensive but also resonate, inspire, uplift, and generally add value to their lives. What’s more, when the economy does pick up, those customers will be ready to explore other, more premium parts of your brand.

Images courtesy the author.

Joining us today to share the keys to the success of an impact-driven brand is John Foraker, Co-Founder and CEO of nutrition-focused kids’ food brand, Once Upon a Farm. In this episode, we discover the most valuable lessons John learned from scaling Annie’s Homegrown, how he came to partner with actress and Once Upon a Farm co-founder, Jennifer Garner, and how he weaves impact into the brands he builds.

Tune in for this revealing episode on scaling without compromising culture, and committing to making an impact.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing John Foraker, Co-Founder and CEO of Once Upon a Farm.
• John’s advice for scaling an impact-driven brand.
• The importance of baking impact into the DNA of your brand.
• The three most valuable lessons John learned from scaling Annie’s Homegrown.
• How and why both John and actress Jennifer Garner got involved with Once Upon a Farm.
• The fundamental belief that drives John to use business as a force for positive social change.
• The benefits of the public benefit corporation model.
• Hiring advice and criticism of the historical corporate mindset.
• The importance of authenticity as a leader (and the danger of imitation).
• Reframing the term “organic”.
• How John married his passion for food and farming with business.
• The value of graduate studies and continuous learning in business.
• Once Upon a Farm’s purity promise and their partnership with Save the Children.
• The evolving nature of B Corp.

Read the transcript and find links from the episode at Brands for a Better World.

The Brands for a Better World podcast (formerly Evolve CPG) is hosted by Gage Mitchell, founder (CEO) and Creative Director at Modern Species, a sustainable brand design agency helping better-for-the-world brand launch, evolve, and grow to scale their impact.

Founded in 1972 on the Upper West Side, H&H Bagels has grown from a local favorite to a cultural institution cherished by New Yorkers. With plans to launch numerous new franchised and company-owned locations across the country, the challenge was clear: modernize the brand while staying true to its New York roots and appealing to a broader demographic.

As H&H Bagels prepares for a nationwide expansion, it has turned to the expertise of High Tide, a renowned New York City-based creative studio specializing in brand identity. High Tide is no stranger to building NYC fast-casual/dining brands, known for its work with Dig Inn, Sweet Chick, Mexicue, and many others. The goal: extend a warm invitation to people across America to indulge in the authentic taste of a New York City bagel.

We saw it as a huge responsibility to bring an iconic local institution to everyone in a way that showcases what makes NY culture so special.

Danny Miller, Founder and Creative Director, High Tide

For High Tide, the opportunity to reimagine H&H Bagels held personal significance. “This project brought back memories from my childhood of stopping by H&H on my way to Central Park,” explains High Tide’s Founder and Creative Director, Danny Miller. “We saw it as a huge responsibility to bring an iconic local institution to everyone in a way that showcases what makes NY culture so special.”

The transformation began with a new visual identity, encompassing everything from the website and packaging to signage and interior design elements for each physical location. The logo, featuring clean custom lettering set against a redesigned version of the original seal, strikes a balance between modernity and homage to the past.

Typography, photography, and color were carefully curated to convey a sense of accessibility and premium quality. A mix of serif, sans serif, and script typefaces adds depth and character, while vibrant pops of color inject energy and excitement into the brand’s visual language.

Jay Rushin, CEO at H&H Bagels, acknowledges the significance of this evolution: “As we embark on a new chapter with our national expansion, enhancing our visual identity was essential to delivering an elevated experience for our customers.” Miller adds, “Wherever someone experiences H&H, the brand should stand out – welcoming others to feel the excitement of eating a classic NYC bagel.”

With High Tide’s expertise, H&H Bagels is poised to captivate taste buds and hearts across the country, all while preserving the essence of a beloved New York institution.

The west-coast-based brand strategy and interactive studio People People is committed to helping companies across the Northwest and beyond discover and tell their stories — and have been doing so for over 20 years.

The brief from Thorntail was clear: create a visual identity as light, energetic, and uplifting as the beverage itself. People People’s solution? An abstract illustration of a thorntail hummingbird, complemented by a script typeface and tones of teal influenced by the Blue Weber agave plant.

Thorntail defies categorization—it’s not quite a seltzer or tequila, but something entirely new. This presented both a challenge and an opportunity. Rather than following the usual tropes of the market, People People sought to break away from the norm and communicate the product’s uniqueness.

The packaging needed to feel fresh, vibrant, and invigorating, mirroring the attributes of the beverage. Inspired by the Blue Weber agave plant, the brand’s light and dark teal blues evoke a brightness that reflects Thorntail’s refreshing taste. Maintaining color consistency across all packaging was a strategic move to bolster brand recognition, a departure from the common practice of changing backgrounds per flavor.

Drawing inspiration from Thorntail’s namesake—the thorntail hummingbird—People People created an abstract illustration of the bird, symbolizing upward flight for an uplifting feel. A script typeface inspired by the hummingbird’s graceful movements adds a touch of elegance to the brand’s visual identity.

‘Hard Agave’ or ‘Fermented Hard Agave’ is prominently displayed alongside the logo and product name to intrigue consumers. With limited packaging space for detailed information, Thorntail’s website serves as a hub for in-depth education, featuring a playful infographic detailing the production journey of hard agave from farm to can.

People People’s creative approach ensures that Thorntail Hard Agave stands out on the shelves and resonates with consumers seeking a unique and refreshing experience. In a market saturated with choices, Thorntail’s brand identity soars above the rest as a beacon of originality.

Traditionally filled with money and given as tokens of good wishes, red packets are integral to Chinese New Year celebrations. The Year of the Dragon holds special significance, symbolizing success, honor, and dignity — believed to bring growth, progress, and abundance.

The Secret Little Agency created the Long Bao to celebrate this auspicious year. A play on words, the name is derived from the pronunciation of the Chinese character for dragon, which is ‘lóng’ or ‘loong.’

This dragon year, we decided to extend the red packet and make it long-er.

The Secret Little Agency

Nodding to a rich tradition, The Long Bao also serves up some humor and a contemporary aesthetic, making the symbol of good fortune a unique gift.

This limited edition creation captures the Chinese New Year’s essence and exemplifies The Secret Little Agency’s commitment to creativity and innovation. Founded in 2009, The Secret Little Agency remains the only creative agency in Singapore to be named both Independent and Creative Agency of the Year multiple times in the last decade.

With only 1000 pieces available in this exclusive run, the agency plans to distribute them to friends and partners in Singapore and worldwide. Intrigued? Request your own Long Bao with an email to The Secret Little Agency.

Brand Collaborations

Who doesn’t love a good collab? They’re seemingly everywhere, from fashion to health and wellness and beyond. Brand collaborations offer a powerful opportunity to unite the visual identities of two distinct entities in a way that reflects both – but stands alone. Collaborations can happen between two brands but also include a brand with an artist, organization, or influencer that amplifies a campaign’s voice, reach, and messaging. When executed well, the intersection can help both parties communicate new messages (including some that address social issues or push industry boundaries) and reach a broader, more diverse audience. And great design makes it more compelling.

Branding Campaigns

Today’s brand campaigns demand a multichannel, multimedia approach. To recognize all it takes to create a brand campaign that covers every angle, from print to environmental, packaging, UX and UI, and more, the PRINT Awards have created a category that encourages designers to share your full campaign creations, from logo to app design to merch.

Packaging Design

What makes a product jump off the shelf? Creative packaging design can take a product’s success from good to outstanding. Creativity comes in every shape, color, size, and material. We’re excited to add the packaging design category to this year’s awards to consider how successful packaging design can attract consumers, communicate the brand message, protect the product, and – with sustainable materials – protect the planet.

BETTER Climate Store, a new online marketplace built to change this while fighting climate change and spreading planet positivity. Climate change can be an overwhelming, layered, and frankly depressing topic. Navigating brands that say “sustainably sourced” can come with caveats. BETTER Climate Store sells sustainably made, responsibly sourced, locally-produced products with a cheeky take on a complex issue. BETTER founders are award-winning creative directors leveraging their decades of design experience to combat climate change through art, humor, and technology.

Products like Greenwash, a soap that “washes away climate guilt,” and a candle called Memories of Clean Air that inspires awareness about the raging wildfire smoke and microparticles we breathe every day. BETTER brings a lightness and irreverence to a serious issue.

The most transformative component of BETTER’s work is that proceeds from the store funnel to the BETTER Climate Fund, a decentralized, community-governed endowment that finances climate mitigation projects.

Images via: Better Climate Store

It is interesting to see how the Chinese depict the spectrum of American diversity in the above graphic. As you can see below, the illustrators were less politically correct or subdued with the graphics produced for the actual fireworks packaging. From the product names to the graphic design, these labels suggest both joy and wonder at the sound and fury of gunpowder igniting on a hot summer’s day. If you are a pyrotechnical kind of person or interested in the practice, check out this PyroTalk site.

Today, she presents us with Pavise, which utilizes new technologies with first-to-market molecules, such as their patent-protected DiamondCore® Shield Technology, a new class of metal oxide molecules with superior safety, efficacy, and wearability.

Sophie approached CENTER to name and build a suncare brand that would challenge the status quo by bringing a touch of luxurious fashion into the laboratory. Inspired by the electrifying and intensely-saturated visuals produced under the microscope, the packaging system features a vivid 3D recreation of Pavise’s patented DiamondCore® Shield, balanced by a refined typographic system that instills trust and embodies a brand rooted in extensive scientific research.

Pavise doesn’t just excel in its performance, but also shines in its exceptional packaging design with bright microscopic elements that effortlessly stand out among its competitors. Pavise takes innovation to the next level by incorporating an iPhone attachment camera and a user-friendly app, empowering you to accurately assess skin damage and determine the ideal level of protection required. This cutting-edge integration of technology enhances everyday skincare and breaks barriers in the beauty industry by offering products suitable for all skin types— a remarkable inclusion that sets it apart in a category previously known for its limited inclusivity.

Learn More: Pavise

One of their most recent branding projects was creating the look and feel for a line of Asian-inspired tea lattes, Narra, founded by siblings Miggy and Victoria Reyes. They were keen on embracing their Southeast Asian heritage not only in their product, but in the branding as well. “Narra is the national tree of the Philippines, both resilient and strong; we wanted to encapsulate that into the branding,” said Delisle in a press release. “We love working with emerging companies that have such clear vision right off the bat, and the Reyes are a perfect example of clients who are able to align their values with what they are trying to achieve with their brand in such a seamless, symbiotic way.”

The Working Assembly team had an inspired idea to incorporate the Filipino tradition of weaving and textile-making into the Narra brand identity. “We reinterpreted the banig— a traditional handwoven mat— by creating patterns resembling the square tiles of the handwoven designs and combining them with modern illustrations,” said designer Erika Romanczuk in a press release. “We used these combinations throughout the brand system, from the can designs to the website.”

Delisle and co. extended the colors and illustrations designed for the product to the Narra website they created in tandem, integrating hover effects and an unscrambling illustration game in the site footer. The tone of these playful hues and motifs comes through in the copy as well, which sets Narra apart from most other brands in the tear category. “So many other canned lattes lean into a refined tone that can feel inaccessible,” said Erik Poh, Senior Copywriter. “As soon as we tried Narra, we knew it needed a more playful voice to match its light and delightful flavor.”

Narra is officially hitting stores this summer, just in time for sunny beach days and park picnics with pals.

These noble goals and business model deserved a brand identity to match. Now, thanks to the exemplary design work of Pentagram, Ben’s Best Blnz has the look and feel to achieve this greatness.

As a self-described “old white guy,” Cohen was intentional about creating a nonprofit cannabis company that directly supported and worked with Black entrepreneurs. This commitment extended into the branding design process. The design team, Led by Pentagram Partner Eddie Opara, developed an eye-catching brand identity and packaging system that prominently features the work of Black artists and designers. The system harnesses vibrant colors in graphic brush stroke textures along with loud and varied typefaces inspired by protest graphics.

B3 wanted to stand out visually in the already jam-packed cannabis space, which is dominated by certain tired visual motifs like marijuana leaves and green hues. To underpin what sets B3 apart in this field, Pentagram created a visual language that focuses on the brand’s message over their marijuana.

“The goal for the Ben’s Best graphics was to be honest and artful— to reflect the quality of our products and the social mission of our brand,” Cohen said on Pentagram’s website. “The focus on this issue is something that a lot of other brands might mention, but virtually no other brand makes it so prominent. Pentagram helped us to integrate typefaces created by Black designers and original artwork by Black artists into our packaging, which is our major form of marketing.”

Expressive typography is the core of Pentagram’s creation, primarily featuring fonts from Vocal Type Foundry (founded by Tré Seals) that highlight critical moments in history for marginalized communities, like the Civil Rights Movement in America and the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Argentina. Additional type in the B3 system was designed by Joshua Darden.

The B3 logo was designed with flexibility in mind, composed of dynamic letterforms that can shift in size and scale. It can also be used as a framing device for imagery within graphics throughout the website, on social, and in the product packaging.

Another priority for B3 was creating eco-friendly packaging, and Cohen worked closely with Pentagram to ensure as many components as possible were sustainably made and recyclable. As such, the team opted for materials such as tin, glass, metal, and cardboard over the common plastic standards. In addition to these important material considerations, Pentagram was thoughtful in the visuals and copy adorning the packaging. The products are covered in calls to action to decarcerate and deschedule cannabis, along with powerful quotations from Black leaders like Angela Davis and Nelson Mandela. Every package also features a small ice cream cone icon as a subtle homage to Cohen’s Ben & Jerry’s roots.

“The packaging is deliberately heavy on type and text; it is designed to be explored and discovered over time as the reusable tin lays around the house,” Cohen elaborates via Pentagram. “At times we thought of the packaging as an artfully designed Dr. Bronner’s soap bottle. But it turned out to be so much more than that.”

The frenetic typography is layered with the work of Black artists, including two commissioned pieces from multimedia artist Dana Robinson and Opara himself (see below, respectively).

B3 will launch its initial line at local dispensaries in Cohen’s home state of Vermont, and their full range of products is viewable on B3’s website now.

Pentagram Partner: Eddie Opara

Project Team: Jack Collins, Raoul Gottschling, Ruben Gijselhart, Dana Reginiano

Collaborators: Claudia Mandlik, photographer; Dana Robinson, illustration; Vocal Type, typography; Darden Studio, typography; Michael Justiz, type animations; Jacob Macdonald, web development

Walden and McGuire became concerned with the prevalence of microplastics while examining water samples at UC Irvine’s Department of Earth System Science, where they met. “We have spent countless hours looking at water samples from our local beaches and finding microplastics in every single sample,” they share on their website. Instead of despairing, they were inspired to do their part. “One of the best ways to make a difference is through action!”

For them, action took the form of Amis de la Terre, a refill-style grocery store that eliminates plastic packaging from the purchase of pantry staples. “We present to you an easy, affordable, and enjoyable environment in which you can get what you need without contributing to the waste cycle,” their website statement continues.

The market is a single-room storefront in Southern California filled with canisters of all kinds of organic pantry food items from which customers help themselves. Shoppers can bring their own jars to refill or buy them directly from the store. To learn more about their mission and the designing of their brick and mortar, I engaged Walden in a thoughtful brief conversation you can read below.

What did you and Chris have to factor into the thought process for Amis de la Terre to ensure it truly produces zero waste? What solutions and hacks did you create or adopt to circumvent typical wasteful grocery store practices?

While our name might suggest a completely zero-waste lifestyle, it is very difficult to achieve that in modern society. We wanted to use the name “zero-waste” to promote our goals for both zero food waste and zero packaging waste. In order to achieve both of those ideals, it would require direct farmer-to-consumer foods, which is quite challenging in an urban area. So, we purchase bulk bags of products in paper packaging wherever possible (25-50 pounds). The paper bags are fully recyclable and biodegrade completely because they are made of only natural materials.

If we are unable to source a product in paper packaging, we will buy a 50-pound plastic bag of, say, brown sugar. In doing so, we greatly reduce the typical packaging associated with buying 50 singular one-pound packages of brown sugar that are in plastic. In addition, because all of our products are sold by weight, it allows customers to buy as much or as little as they need.

In this way, we are working to eliminate so much of the food waste that is produced in the typical household. We have measuring cups and spoons so customers can buy the exact amount of flour they need for a new recipe they’re trying, instead of buying a pound of coconut flour and using it once and forgetting about it at the back of their pantries. So they save money while reducing food waste.

What are the main ways you’ve seen the packaging design industry making strides toward more sustainable packaging? Alternatively, what are the biggest challenges the industry still faces?

There are many groups of scientists and inventors working toward developing sustainable packaging. As of right now, they have not been able to develop a type of packaging that acts like plastic that can naturally biodegrade in a landfill the way a paper bag might. Because paper is a natural material, it will break down into organic components quickly and easily with water and heat. To date, the “compostable plastic” or “plant-based plastic” is just that—compostable (in an industrial composter) and plant-based (derived from corn or soy instead of petroleum). However, it takes just as long to degrade as regular plastic does, and it never can fully degrade into organic components because it is a synthetic material.

For me, the best options are glass and paper, but there is so much lobbying from the oil/plastics industry that plastic remains the cheaper material for most people and businesses (even though its lifetime cost is exponentially higher than both paper and glass, and it’s infinitely more difficult to recycle).

The biggest challenge is to develop a material that is completely biodegradable the way that paper is, and that can preserve freshness the way that plastic is able to. Alternatively, people can alter their habits and use purchasing power to shift the market toward glass and paper packaging. 

Do you see the zero-waste, refillable market model catching on in a bigger way in the years to come? What needs to happen for that dream to become a reality? 

I do see these refill shops taking off. I think the best way for them to succeed and capture as many people is for there to be one in every neighborhood— the return of the local mom and pop shop, in a sense. Part of the fun of owning the store has been our regular customers. We know their names, we say hello, we chit chat. That sort of aspect is lost in large chain grocery stores. It makes shopping so much more fun and personable. It reminds me of when I lived in France and you’d go to the butcher, the cheese shop, the spice store, etc., and each shopkeeper knew who you were and would ask about your family, and you could get advice on how to cook this or that ingredient. I think we all want that, deep down; it’s so much more pleasant than heading into a big box store packed with strangers and not having a single conversation.

For this to become a reality, we need to remind people of the positive experience that shopping small can be. Supporting small businesses builds your community. Finding passion in your local community will drive support for small businesses like these. If more people knew what a difference shopping without plastic could make, I think they’d be more likely to come here. Education is definitely paramount.

With education as such an important pillar of the Amis de la Terre shopping experience, what are the ways in which you edify your customers? 

We have a little bottle of microplastics from the Atlantic Ocean that catches people’s eyes and we use that to demonstrate the prevalence of plastics in the ocean. It usually leads to much larger conversations. In addition, people will ask us how we got into this business and we explain to them that we have worked in an oceanography lab and see so much plastic in our samples, so we can establish trust and authority on the environmental impacts of plastic.

Many customers come in already concerned about the impacts of plastic on their health, so conversations tend to start pretty organically. It definitely feels like we are better able to communicate science and environmental issues more easily than we could from isolated inside a laboratory.

In terms of the design of your brick and mortar, what were your main goals for the space and how did you achieve those?  

The design was dreamed up by me and brought to reality by Chris. He had some previous experience with small projects and had helped his dad build their house while he was in high school, but nothing like this. He really took it on and went for it. He’s very meticulous. 

We wanted to do as much as we could ourselves because we had a very tight budget, so it was sort of necessary. We repurposed our wedding tablecloths for the curtains on our counters, and our centerpieces are the cut champagne bottles with dried flowers that decorate the top shelf. 

I lived in the south of France for two years, where I got my master’s degree through the Sorbonne in Paris. There are so many more open-air markets and shops like this in Europe in general. They are still tied to the small business owner model, so I wanted the shop to reflect my Francophile nature and be warm and welcoming for customers. Also, we couldn’t afford a very large unit, so we tried to design it in a way that would maximize space.

Over his many years working as a designer, Sahre has doggedly remained independent. He is a frequent visual contributor to The New York Times, designed book covers for authors such as Chuck Klosterman, Malcolm Gladwell, and Clarice Lispector. I had an opportunity to talk with him about this honor and his initial response to the big news.

Did you know this work was being submitted for a Grammy? Have you ever had your work submitted before? How long have you been working with They Might Be Giants?

I did. I’ve been serving as unofficial designer-at-large for the band since 2012. There have been other projects we’ve done that were submitted, but honestly, I never gave it much thought. A Grammy nomination seemed far-fetched (still does) for all kinds of reasons. This is primarily because nearly everything I have designed for They Might Be Giants are things I have wanted to make for the sake of making. The great thing about the nomination is that it provides a moment to ponder all of the great things we have made together of the years.

Can you tell me a bit more about Book and how you approached designing it?

Book is They Might Be Giants 23rd studio album. It’s an album that is also a physical book of lyrics and photography. It is 12” x 12”, which is the same size as a vinyl LP. The idea is in the classic surrealist Treachery of Images mold— it’s an album that is titled Book. Since it is an actual book, calling the album Album would have been misleading, right?

[TMBG band member] John Flansburgh and I have been talking about doing a book for several years. A bunch of false starts led us here. We found Brian Karlsson through photographer Gus Powell. Brian’s street sensibility bumps into TMBG’s music in all sorts of interesting ways. John, Brian, and I pored over his images and created various edits.

As I have done with a number of other TMBG projects, I purposefully abandoned current production methods. I really liked the idea that the typewriter would force me to do a kind of physical performance with each song, with the type play responding to the images in differing ways. The type echoes songs and images in some instances and ignores them in others.

The typewriter is inconvenient, so it forces you to improvise and create in ways that feel new, even with lapsed technology. A few years ago, we did an epic nine-part music video shot entirely with 8mm film for the TMBG song “Tesla.” This took six months, and every day was a challenge. Not a day went by when I didn’t ask myself why I was doing this to myself! The last thing I expected while endlessly typing at 2 AM in the studio was a Grammy nomination. It’s equal parts wonderful and inexplicable. Book is exactly the opposite of where technology is pushing everything; manually typing a 144-page book [as we approach] the year 2023 is absurd. But then again, maybe Auto-Tune will [feel] interesting/new in 50 years.

Is it true you hand-typed the entire thing? (And what happened when you made a mistake?) How did you go about designing something you were typing in real time?

Yes, entirely. However, I started the work by having designers Woojoo Im and Shiqing Chen experiment with the songs on the computer.  Shiqing was in China and Woojoo was in Korea, and they didn’t have access to a Selectric typewriter, so they used InDesign and created study after study with the closest approximation to monospaced typefaces they could find.

Meanwhile, I bought an IBM Selectric III typewriter on eBay. Mine is tan (I really wanted a red one). I found a place called Reptronics to have it serviced. Turns out, Reptronics is run out of the owner’s garage in a suburb somewhere in New Jersey. The Selectric III is from the late-1970s, and the one I purchased is the self-correcting model. I started with the idea that all text would be typed manually, including corrections. I piggybacked on the studies that Shiqing and Woojoo created. When mistakes were made— as long as the paper was still in the typewriter carriage— I could correct with a little backspace key with a small ‘x’ on it. Once the paper was removed from the carriage however, whiteout had to be employed. As a result, I spent a good amount of the COVID lockdown typing. There was a three-to-four-week period of inactivity while I waited for new ribbon cartridges to arrive. 

My favorite aspect of working with the Selectric III was the ability to work with different typefaces. Typeballs (golfball-sized metal balls) could be swapped out on the fly.

The typeballs deployed in Book were:

• Courier
• Olde English
• Letter Gothic
• Script
• OCR-A
• MANIFOLD
• Symbol
• Orator
• Dual Gothic

How do you collaborate with TMBG? Do they always approve all your ideas?

All They Might Be Giants projects start and end with Mr. John Flansburgh. Often John will come to me with an idea. Sometimes, it’s a collaboration. Sometimes, it’s a specific need. Sometimes, I just make shit up. In the 1980s, I started my design career listening to their music while I worked. I know the band inside and out. Mutual respect goes a long way…

If you win, this will be your first stop to getting an EGOT! What’s next on your agenda to conquer?

I had to look that up. No agenda really, other than waking up tomorrow and asking “What do I get to design today?”

The beer space is unique in that the packaging design is specific, but also broad in its inspiration and references. Today, I’m sharing five Instagram accounts from creators, innovators, designers, and beer lovers present at the event. Each of the accounts below highlights the individualism within the beer design niche.

Maryssa Pickett | @spud.cowboy

This Charlotte-based multidisciplinary artist has a wide range of works that include editorials, books, zines, and murals, and if you scroll through their account, you’ll see various examples from their diverse collection. While there’s clearly a detailed, illustrative aesthetic that’s consistent throughout their pieces, it’s also obvious that Pickett has an eye for making grunge approachable and light-hearted without sacrificing any of its grit.

Chris Walker | @chrswlkr

Beer can designs often look monotonous, but when the typography makes the flavors and personality come alive, the strategy works. Chris Walker is a lettering artist from Milwaukee who creates designs for beers and signs, amongst other miscellaneous projects. The graphic designer and sign painter’s Instagram feed are filled with behind-the-scenes glances into stunning completed works. Walker will sometimes share his mesmerizing creative process, which highlights his vulnerability and incredible willingness to share trade secrets with others.

Anthony Walker | @anthonyy_walkerr

Anthony Walker is the brain behind Black Summit Design, a studio dedicated to beer packaging design. His Instagram feed is a collection of creations that highlight unique perspectives, from nostalgic, Florida-inspired sour IPA labels to anatomically accurate, heart-inspired Double IPA labels. Walker is remarkable for his ability to tailor each of his designs to the individual brew. Instead of letting his own influences dominate the label designs, they feel motivated by the beverage within.

Tall Trees Design Co | @talltreesdesignco

This independent design studio in Lafayette, Colorado helps smaller brands and large corporations with services ranging from logo design and brand identity, to illustration and packaging design. The studio’s Instagram feed is bursting with engaging projects, like botanical beer labels and Canadian landscape-inspired oat packaging. It’s evident that the outdoors play a large role in inspiring Tall Trees’ work, and it’s captivating to see how they fuse nature into the look and feel of each project.

Perfect Strangers | @perfectstrangersdesign

Garth and Praveen are the minds behind Perfect Strangers, a southern California-based food and beverage branding studio. While they work with a range of clients, the majority of their designs are for breweries. Scrolling through Perfect Strangers’ feed, it’s evident that the designers aren’t afraid of color and confident elements, and it’s delightful to see how they bring so much mischief into beer packaging design. 

Did I mention I’m a Beatles fan? One reason is that the words are clear— no mumbling, screaming, or being drowned out— and almost every song is a story I appreciate, no matter how many times I hear them. But it’s another level of understanding to read the beautifully typeset lyrics, learn in the songwriter’s words how the song came to be, and take in spreads of photographs from that time and place. Sometimes you get a look inside the people’s heads who were there, the inspirations, and antecedents, and sometimes mystery remains. Real people inspired characters in many songs, but some questions seem purposely unanswered. Such as who, exactly, blew his mind out in a car?

And who, exactly, designed this masterpiece, I wondered. On the copyright page, in very small type, I found: “This book is set in Rigby, a typeface created expressly for this book by Triboro Design.”

I began reading reviews: “#1 New York Times bestseller. A Washington Post Notable Book. Excerpted in The New Yorker. Published November 2, 2021.” Where had I been? Sleeping under a rock? Well, I was out of the country, quarantining, and stuck in an Omicron-empty airport last November. Still, no excuse.

None of the reviews I read mentioned the book design or the designer— typical— so I set about finding Triboro Design. This Brooklyn studio has a long, enviable client list that includes museums, galleries, fashion brands, restaurants, artists, and musicians, magazines, and book publishers. The book’s designer David Heasty works with his wife and partner Stefanie Weigler, and they’ve won many important design awards. It started to feel like a very heavy rock I’d been sleeping under.

I invited Heasty to meet via Zoom, and found him to be sharp, quick, articulate, and modest. Below, we discuss Paul’s involvement with the project, the book’s gorgeous bespoke typeface, and the importance of staying true to a legend’s vision.

How did you get this gig, and who was the client?

The client was the Liveright imprint of W.W. Norton & Company. Anna Oler, the production manager at Liveright approached us, perhaps because we’d done Prince’s memoirs and a book on Frank Sinatra.

It’s good to hear that someone below the CEO/publisher level has the power to choose the design firm for a project of this magnitude. How many people are in your firm?

Just two— my wife and partner Stefanie— and myself.

Amazing— not a word I use lightly. Did you and Stefanie work together on this project?

No. We generally have separate projects. This was exclusively my project.

How long did it take?

About a year.

I’m imagining you sorting through cartons of photographs, having them scanned and restored, then making difficult choices.

It wasn’t like that at all. The publisher had already made the selection, and everything came organized as good quality files. Linda McCartney was a photographer, and she and Paul were always interested in the preservation of assets.

Were you disappointed that photo selection wasn’t part of your job?

No. It’s Paul’s book. It’s his memoir.

Let’s talk about your working style. Did you present one mockup, or did the client have the choice of a number of potential treatments?

I did many, many sample chapters; various layouts. There was a lot of collaboration and back-and-forth. It took months. When I get feedback, I keep an open mind. You could think of this book as one man capturing another man’s vision. 

Some designers and firms tell me that it’s necessary to show the client a range of options because many people want their opinion known. Other designers make it a point of honor to present one thing, saying: ‘This is the solution.’

There’s so much psychology involved in dealing with different clients. Some clients are hands-off, and others want to be involved in every detail.

Did you get to work directly with Paul?

Paul was very involved, but no. We received his comments via his people.

I’m interested in the choice of listing the songs in alphabetical order, rather than chronologically. In alphabetical order, the reader might jump from the screams of girls at JFK, to following George, to Rishikesh and the Maharishi, then back to getting haircuts at a certain barbershop in Liverpool. The sense of going through time— through decades— is thoroughly mixed up.

Paul liked the aspect of jumping around, the messier juxtapositions. It’s more surprising; a cool way to do it. There is more focus on the songs themselves, rather than the book being a history of the Beatles.

Speaking of which, what happened to John in this story? His name is sometimes listed as co-author, but Paul makes some snarky comments, such as John’s ‘lack of interest in literature.’ Was Yoko upset about this book? And the other surviving Beatle, Ringo?

You’ll have to ask them.

Okay. Tell me a little about your background, yours and Stefanie’s.

I am a 2000 graduate of Penn State, where I had an incredible mentor, [the late] Lanny Sommese. My first boss, Alexander Gelman, was another very important mentor. He gave me a lot of responsibility on a broad range of projects. Stephanie is from Germany. She studied visual communications there and also worked for Alexander Gelman at Design Machine after coming to New York. That’s where we met.

Most designers would kill for your client list. How did you build it?

We worked hard over 15 years, beginning with a focus on the cultural sector, doing artists’ books and gallery work. We got better known after we started working with the Justin Timberlake fashion label.

The set I received has a green linen slipcase and spines. Some images show an orange slipcase. What is the difference?

Orange was a special edition of 175 copies signed by Paul, with embossed lyrics on the cover, a tipped-in-photo on a special clamshell box instead of the slipcase. That set originally sold for $2000, but now I understand it’s selling at auction for much more.

And about Rigby Display? It’s so impressive— and rare— that a book is set in a bespoke typeface. Who designed it?

I drew the typeface myself. I’ve always tinkered around with creating fonts. I’m not officially trained in type design; I’m self-trained in the programs. A company called Omnibus-Type in Argentina made the different weights.

What is your favorite part of this project?

The textures. There are a lot of surfaces— two volumes in a slipcase, plus dust jackets. And the fact that it was an organic, collaborative experience. That’s how we want all our projects to be.

What accolades you are most proud of?

The Rigby typeface being included in the Type Directors Annual 2021, and The Lyrics named ‘Book of the Year’ by Barnes & Noble.

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Angelini Design, founded by Carlo Angelini, has long been a go-to design firm for its unique blend of historical and contemporary visual sensibilities. With offices in Rome, Turin, Paris and Shanghai, it is truly international, yet when all is said and done, classic Italian companies seek their enviable attention to graphic detail. A good example of that is the following redesign and refinement of Strega, known for its Alberti confections and liquors.

Angelini has been dipping into the tasty typographic legacy of Strega to honor and advance the graphic language that makes the brand so recognizable. Partner Michele Angelini, Carlo’s son, has been running the Shanghai office for two years, but always finds time to talk about his love of his heritage. I asked him to whet our appetites through the following conversation.

How long did this project take?
Here you can see four different projects, each one with its own challenges and specificity. The two chocolate packaging system—Strega and Strega Alberti—took around three months from brief to the delivery of the execution files. The limited-edition sleeve (above) took us around one month. The Easter packaging system (below), around two months. In all these projects there was an initial deep research on their vast graphical and visual history that then inspired us through the whole projects.

Strega fits your vintage aesthetic perfectly. Were you in heaven doing this?
Strega fits perfectly our vision of design, a work which is always based on cultural roots. We call it “brand heritage.” In the last years we worked more and more with brands that have a strong history and background. It requires a specific approach to understand their tradition and values and translate them into future vision.

Strega is a perfect case without a unique positioning; it is a brand with more than 150 years of story that is really part of the Italian culture. Strega worked with the best illustrators and advertising masters of the past (from Depero to Dudovich), and it always promoted culture and innovation through arts. Just an example: In 1947 Strega created the “Strega award,” which is still today the most important award for Italian literature.

Did you have to create custom type and lettering, or was it all there for you?
All type was created by us. Strega has always had a very variegated language in his history, both in terms of type and illustrations. In our pack we tried to show off this richness and variety.

I see you had a chance to mix it up—for example, with the two chocolate lines.
Strega—which is the line with the liquor Strega—has a unique type design; each product/pack is different from the other one. Strega Alberti—the line without the liquor—has a more consistent typography throughout all the packs.

All I can say is, bring them on. I am addicted.

Check out their exciting roster of games below or on the Chronicle Books website.

Our Games Room collection is designed with the discerning game buyer in mind. From the vibrant, geometric-patterned keepsake boxes to the games themselves, every product in the Games Room range looks as beautiful on the shelf as it is fun to play.

Featured in interior design magazines in the past, Games Room’s visually stunning packaging stands out in any room. Top trend forecaster WGSN has outlined classic games in premium, well-designed packaging that align well with room décor as a key trend among consumers, and our Games Room classic games, trivia and gift sets will elevate any interior space.

What Am I?
$12.00
Teams race against the clock to guess the mystery item—anything from “ice cream” to “the Eiffel Tower”—that players describe with increasingly specific clues. In a beautifully designed package, this is a wonderful all-ages game for friends and family alike.

Pop Culture Charades
$12.00
Let the games begin with this charade deck, a compact and portable game for pop culture fanatics! Simply act out the titles of the latest-and-greatest books, films, songs, TV shows, and plays—without speaking a word—for your team to guess.

Beer Trivia
$12.00
Crack open a cold one to go with this beer trivia deck, and challenge your friends and family with 140 foamy and fun trivia questions housed in a handsome box. Tap into all the beer-centric topics you can imagine—from science and history to pop culture and fun facts!

Beach Trivia
$12.00
With 140 beach-centric trivia questions in a gorgeous and portable box, feel that ocean breeze no matter where you are. These multiple-choice questions cover interesting facts about all things beachy!

Family Truth or Dare
$15.00
Featuring 100 exciting prompts on 50 double-sided sticks, these family-friendly questions and fun challenges—along with the chic and cheerful packaging—make this the perfect game to make family game night an entertaining and laugh-out-loud event.

But sometimes, the full experience of opening a box feels so thought out that the box itself becomes just as important as what’s inside of it. This is immediately observable in Stefanie Brückler‘s sturdy, eye-catching packaging for sustainable outerwear company Margot92. In the design, timeless white tags, boxes, and wrapping paper are enhanced with a bold, black swoosh monogram. These elegantly constructed boxes also feature removable magnetic closure, as well as instructions on how to recycle them. But why get rid of something that looks so good? Brückler most successfully emphasizes Margot92’s slow-fashion mission by making the kind of box you’d genuinely want to use again.

T

The aluminum can makes an immediate visual impact with seductive, fittingly fluid typography by The Collected Works. It blends with the color palette to evolve into a innovative, dynamic system that maintains an accessible aesthetic. With its refreshing packaging, Slug Club holds the potential to inspire even uneasy consumers into trying the tasty fermented beverage within.

Slug Club is an elevated kombucha (literally!), created with ​​Patagonian sourced ingredients, brewed and distributed in Argentina. Our design studio was approached to create a complete branding and packaging suite. Although kombucha is a wildly popular beverage here in the States, it’s still bubbling up in South America. The rebrand helps to market Slug Club in a less disruptive beverage market with a flexible custom wordmark that feels both approachable and too cool for school. The procession of thought is continued with our color palette and typography paired with the original Slug Club illustration, a piece of their original brand that we just loved too much to see go. The end result was a tasty and intelligent system leading the way to a bright, fresh new cold one to crack at your next gathering.

Project Credits

CREATIVE DIRECTION, DESIGN, ANIMATION:
The Collected Works

DESIGN:
Chris Skinner, Vincent Drayne, Christian Townsend

MANAGEMENT:
Justin Raymond Park

The Working Assembly designed a system for BAWI that takes inspiration from Mexican street art and local fruit stands. The intricate fruit illustrations and punchy typography create an immersive effect that visually evokes the tangy, sweet flavors of the beverages. BAWI’s colorful, nostalgic identity presents a fresh, authentic reflection of Mexican art and culture.

 Branding agency The Working Assembly has launched a new brand called BAWI, a line of agua frescas with a modern twist, made with less sugar, organic fruit juices, and the perfect amount of carbonation. 

Agua frescas are classic Mexican beverages, and BAWI’s co-founder Victor Guardiola set out to bring authenticity to a favorite childhood drink, wanting to enjoy some of the nostalgic flavors he grew up with in Monterrey, Mexico, but through a more health-conscious lens, “The bold flavors are nostalgic for me, and delicious for all,” said BAWI co-founder and CEO, Victor Guardiola. 

“Traditionally, agua fresca is made with fruit juices like pineapple, lime, and watermelon, but can also consist of rice water blended with spices such as horchata, or even flor de jamaica (hibiscus). What they all have in common is that, while delicious, they are often packed with sugar,” said BAWI’s co-founder and COO Jordan Hicks.

The two founders were still in college when they connected with the team at The Working Assembly, wanting to create a brand that was representative of Mexican roots but also added in a modern and bold Austin flair. The result is a graphic system rooted with Mexican influence, but with a decidedly more contemporary approach to the typography and aesthetic.

“Throughout the BAWI identity process, we wanted to pay homage to Mexican-American culture. The result for BAWI is a brand image that gives a nod to Mexican heritage and celebrates Austin’s culture, modernized with a clean and contemporary approach.” said The Working Assembly’s Senior Brand Manager Anthony Fernandez.

“The BAWI logo incorporates drawn typography with a dimensional vernacular apparent in local food and fruit stands and Mexican street art. The packaging and custom illustration style were inspired by ‘Lotería’, a traditional Mexican card game like bingo that can be traced back to the 1920s, with cards that feature a vintage, watercolor aesthetic. The duality of the English-Spanish linguistics on the packaging hints at the intersection of the Mexican-American and Tex-Mex cultures,” said Diego Barragan, Design Director at The Working Assembly.

The new BAWI is the first of its kind Agua Fresca and currently on shelves in Austin, and available for pre-order on their new site that The Working Assembly also produced https://drinkbawi.com. The website created by Aaron Bunge, Associate Design Director for Digital and Sarah Sprinkle, Digital Designer features fun features such as a “Spanglish” language option and a classic Agua Fresca jug that fills up as you add to your cart.

“Working with a diverse and dynamic group of collaborators at The Working Assembly, including Spanish speaking team members, really defined the cultural bridge that we think embodies BAWI’s brand. Bringing in different perspectives and first-hand knowledge of what a Mexican beverage should look and feel like really set our branding, and aesthetic apart. Choosing the right partners to work with MATTERS.” said BAWI co-founder and CEO, Victor Guardiola. 

Project Credits
The Working Assembly
Photography: Fresh Take Studios

We were asked to reinvent this premium nut brand while celebrating its legacy and heritage, ensuring it appealed to Gen Next and the food obsessed – it also had to be gift-worthy, drive taste appeal by hero-ing the exquisite flavours, ingredients, and creation methods.

The category is crowded and noisy, therefore the ambition was to give the brand some white space to enable it to thrive. 

A challenge was to create a brand that gets consumers to revaluate what they think – nuts are challenging in terms of preconcerted ideas and not an obvious gift product – a key consideration was to ensure the brand became a real contender against other gifts like wine, flowers, chocolates.

The positioning needed to be purpose focused and reinforce the brands sustainability messages and actions – protecting the wonder in the world brought to life through partnerships to protect habitats and wildlife.

A master brand identity and positioning were identified and developed. Key to the positioning was putting the nut back into the centre of the story while borrowing from fashion for the architectural principles considering signature, collection, diffusions, and high-end couture taste sensations.

With archetype, tone of voice, creative principles all in place it was important to bring the brand to life and allow it a personality beyond the luxury taste appeal. 

The brand already had a great name and an impressive history of ephemera, so it was possible to confidentially borrow from its rich back catalogue pulling forward iconography. The new positioning was brought to life by updating the squirrel character and introducing a name, Zip.

The name comes from a piece of confectionery introduced in 1926 called zippers and alludes to how dynamic the character is zipping around the packaging. Plus, they join an impressive list of non-binary fictional characters. 

The original squirrel was drawn a long time ago and has been scanned, beaten, vectorised with all the care and love of the drawing lost. Although the reimagined brand is built upon the heritage of the illustration style, it was important to allow movement and to bring the curiosity of the brand to life through the squirrel roaming freely around the packaging. 

Squirrel’s new packaging is designed to offer the customer a premium experience from shelf through to eating, incorporating the brand’s origin story, the nuts and their ingredients, and an explorer’s map to guide the consumer through the brand experience. The unpackaging is an elaborate experience which has layers of reveal, and no two packs are the same.

Project Credits
Straight Forward

Welsbro is a watch brand originally from New York by 1926that Rich Reichbach and Katie Willis brought back in 2021 in a really fresh and meaningful way. Every Welsbro watch and strap is inspired by a food story from Welsbro owners while living in NYC

Project Credits
Oscar Bastidas

Owned by Peet’s Coffee® since 2014, Mighty Leaf is a quality brand proud of providing the most flavorful whole leaf teas, bursting with vivid flower and fruit in the tea that deliver on taste. In recent years, the brand wanted to amplify its powerful name and legacy steeped in flavor and provenance. Pearlfisher partnered with Mighty Leaf on a redesign of the brand’s packaging to highlight the distinctive difference in product and process which has always set Mighty Leaf apart.

The new design reunites Mighty Leaf with the artistry of the whole tea leaf the brand is synonymous with, and as represented in its ‘artfully blended, beautifully presented’ tagline. By bringing the product to the fore and creating a new brand equity in the brand mark, the packaging design now brings the iconic, differentiating power of the Mighty Leaf name and proposition to the shelf.

The unique silhouette of the ‘M’ in Mighty Leaf is now formed out of realtea leaves to simply and powerfully connect the product with the brand. This acts as a visual through line, intricately weaving a continuous trail across each panel of the packaging to make a wall of Mighty Leaf on shelf. Sitting subtly behind the brand mark on each pack are a series of illustrated scenes that tell the origin and flavor story of each tea within the range. These are paired with new vibrant colors that promote the incredible flavor profiles and help with navigation.

Trevor Oldershaw, Creative Director at Peet’s Coffee said, “From first impression to lasting impact, Mighty Leaf Tea’s new look mirrors the thoughtful exactitude and artistry of our product – allowing consumers to now see each leaf and petal from the outside to showcase the exceptional product, flavor and offer on the inside.”

Project Credits
Pearlfisher

Project Credits
Stranger & Stranger

Because the drinks themselves are bold, tangy, and sweet, the brand identity mimics the flavors beautifully yet, refreshingly, not in a cliche way.

Project Credits
Chloé Legret

The brief was to develop a visual identity and packaging system to launch FELLR into the RTD market. The product needed to stand out in hand and on shelf, appealing to both guys and girls. Asked to take cues from the drink itself, the visual language had to be light, fun, natural, refreshing yet premium.

Solution — FELLR’s unique offering as an independent, Australian made, alcoholic seltzer company was tied together by welcoming everyone to ‘A LAND OF FIZZ’. The ‘LAND’, the never ending source of inspiration. The ‘FIZZ’, a sensory feeling, defined by the sharing of good times with your mates. This brand platform drives everything that FELLR does.

The design further captures this feeling, expressed through a series of gradients and colour palettes. When brought together they create a striking family that stands out on shelf, balanced by the use of clean typography and a strong hand-drawn logo.

Project Credits
Tom Schwaiger

Project Credits
Jarosław Dziubek

Barnhouse is a brand name of PT. Agrijaya Prima Sukses that designed as the main brand for commercial dairy products. In the future, Barnhouse is intended as a house brand that houses several brands under it for the category of milk development products, fresh milk, yogurt, etc.

Barnhouse is a new brand, of course a big challenge to be able to attract the attention of potential consumers to glance and try Barnhouse products, considering that the current market competition is filled by Bear Brand & 7 Kurma. We want the audience to know Barnhouse as a whole, considering that the brand name is in a foreign language, we don’t want the audience to forget the brand name. Therefore, this type of logotype is the most effective solution for Barnhouse.

Barnhouse positions itself as a disruptor in its category and wants to signal this through an unconventional identity. Our designers developed a high-key look with Artisanal-inspired and playful to convey the brand a more professional premium look, through a pragmatic and functional approach.

The Barnhouse identity should find a balance a long modern, clean, simplicity unique, and timeless.

It should feel;
Natural than technology, simple & unique, modern & commercials, little playful and global looks.

For Barnhouse’s packaging design, we used the illustration of a cowhide pattern as a design system that will be applied to the packaging. Cow’s milk that conveys itself, no preservatives, no coloring, real cow’s milk.

Project Credits
Widarto Impact

Project Credits
Chochoi Creative

“We’re excited to reveal our new M&M’S brand look and feel, which fans will see come to life across all M&M’S touchpoints around the globe,” said Jane Hwang, global marketing vice president for Mars Wrigley, in a press release. “From new product innovations to brand campaigns, our evolved characters, and our experiential retail stores, we’ll incorporate colorful visuals, inclusive messaging, and our purpose into all we do to prove that all together, we’re more fun.” 

The brand tapped into the idea that every person has an innate desire to feel a sense of belonging. Because of this, the brand will work to help the world feel like a more welcoming place where everyone can, and should, belong. 

Beginning this year, M&M lovers will start to see changes in the brand’s look in feel, including an emphasis surrounding the brand’s ampersand, as nothing says inclusivity better than the beloved conjunction symbol, which is already such a massive piece of the M&M’S puzzle. The ampersand will be highlighted throughout the new system as it’s a wildly distinguishable feature from the brand’s logo, and it functions as a way to connect the two “M’s.” … Additionally, the brand refresh will allow space for all of the different M&M’s, regardless of shape and color, to be featured and recognized through the visuals, pushing the theme of inclusivity further and more visually. 

The candy-coated treat also gets a further nod to the theme of “connection” with a more inclusive tone of voice for the brand, plus an update to their cherished characters through a lens of self-expression. JKR even went the additional mile of designing a typeface for M&M’s dubbed, of course, “All Together Serif.” 

The work that JKR has designed for M&M’s is a welcomed refresh; enhancing the brand through positivity and connection is more than welcomed in the era of what feels very much like the opposite. JKR did a fantastic job of keeping the brand’s look and feel utterly authentic while still evolving the brand forward.

The plant-based brand worked with Scandinavian consumer brand agency Everland to create a branding and packaging system unlike any other plant-based brand on the market. Instead of working with cliche shades of brown and green with plant-inspired illustrations, La Vie moved in a direction that’s a celebration of life. 

“Meat alternatives are an ocean of sameness, building on traditional FMCG packaging conventions,” said Carl Johan Larsson, creative director and partner at Everland, in a press release. “It’s mostly pale meat patties, happy, yet boring, colors, generic plant icons and then some equally unnoticeable brand name involving butcher, plant, alternative, or meat.”

La Vie collaborated with Lithuanian artist and illustrator Egle Zvirblyt to create playful and delightful illustrations that make a whole world of cheerful aesthetics. Additionally, each product invites a new character to center stage; for example, Mr. Piggy de-stresses over a drool-worthy bacon pasta dish. It’s bright, whimsical, and, in true vegan fashion, a celebration of life.

Utilizing pink as the primary color adds to the elements of revelry as it’s inherently known for its cheerful connotations. But then, using green and blue hues to balance and support the pink shades help to create a cohesive look that brings the consumer’s mind back to the vegan aspect of the brand. Furthermore, the conscious decision to use black as the primary typographical color makes an impact through bold contrast.  

This “new meat,” from the looks of the branding alone, will appeal to meat loves and vegans alike.

Denso is a cold brew brand with branding and packaging designed by Inter Estudio. While the packaging is quite simple, allowing the dark beverage to be the main character in the design is both thoughtful and powerful. Plus, the almost medicinal-inspired bottle is sleek and refined. 

Project Credits

Inter Estudio

Project Credits
Julien De Meyère

Shroom Forest is a scented candle studio founded by artist Ziyuan in NYC, 2021. Ziyuan designed and developed her whole product line and all the products are hand-made mushroom form candles. Shroom Forest pursues the harmony of scent, craft and visual art. Based on the brand concept of ‘infuse the psychedelic fashion into the nature form’, I designed a ‘psychedelic market’ style visual identity for shroom Forest, crafted different labels for different types of mushroom candles. I combined the idea of ‘artistic mushroom’ and ‘fresh market’ by placing the products into the paper grocery packages, which gives the visual identity an extremely fun touch.

Project Credits

loof design

And we all have Dry January to thank. So in honor of those of you participating in a month of zero alcohol, those that don’t drink regardless of the month, and the folks open to trying something new, we’ve rounded up the top five non-alcoholic spirit brands that you should follow on Instagram.

Apart from gorgeous branding and imagery, you’ll find non-alcoholic recipes and exquisite packaging. While these booze-free brands certainly know how important branding is, there’s no doubt that you’ll find something from each of these companies that are inspirational and moving, further proving that you don’t need alcohol to have fun.

Kin Euphorics | @kineuphorics

Kin started with the goal of changing the act of drinking, taking it from a social ritual into something that can help you better connect with yourself. Founded by Jen Batchelor and Bella Hadid, the brand has spirited, fearless, and strong backing. Scrolling through the brand’s Instagram account, you’ll feel transported into a world of natural psychedelic magic, finding gradients, pops of pink, and orange-toned photography.

Agency: RoAndCo

Curious Elixirs | @curiouselixirs

Curious Elixirs are alcohol-free craft cocktails with adaptogens to help you unwind. ACurious Elixirs are alcohol-free craft cocktails with adaptogens to help you unwind. Additionally, the brand’s Instagram account will help you relax with a mix of humorous memes, wistful poetry, gorgeous photography, and tips on being alcohol-free in social gatherings. Curious Elixirs is thoughtful in its social media approach that allows many different demographics to relate without cutting anyone out.

Agency: Hologram Studio

TÖST | @tostbeverages

Töst is a non-alcoholic beverage brand developed to allow everyone to celebrate those unforgettable moments, and a brand created for inclusivity is a brand worth following. The brand’s Instagram page comes loaded with non-alcoholic recipes and pairings. Plus, the minimal simplicity of the packaging design has our hearts pitter-pattering.

Designer: Brielle Wilson

New London Light | @newlondonlight

New London Light’s Instagram feed is as light and airy as the beverages the brand serves. The gorgeous photography will instantly soothe, and the non-alcoholic cocktail recipes will surely inspire. If the drinks are anything like the brand’s Instagram feed, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to conquer your day. Maybe even the world.

Proposition Cocktail Co.  | @proposition.co

Not only does Proposition Cocktails have an eye for packaging design, but its Instagram feed is one of a kind. Utilizing polaroid film inspiration, every image has a vintage aesthetic about it. The brand started with the idea to honor a better time, one where quality and transparency mattered, seen clearly and visually through each image and caption on the brand’s feed. The brand serves a vintage feel with a modern twist, and we couldn’t be more inspired.

The uniquely crafted Homer cacao chocolate is designed with minimal yet vibrant packaging and comes in three flavours – Peppermint, Mandarin and Hazelnut. Not only it thrives best in its appearance, but Homer also delivers a great tasting experience. Hand-picked and handcrafted cacao chocolate delivers an artisanal taste. To minimise the carbon footprint we have removed the foil wraps and used recyclable cardboard.

Project Credits

Paul Lee

But that’s not our beat. Go here if you want that, because you’re bound to discover something new.

What I can tell you, however, is that not only was it a great year for music, but also some pretty nifty album covers.

Now, the way most people interact with record covers or album art is through their phones. You’ve got streaming and a tiny little square, and for most folks, that’s OK by them; not to sound like the guy yelling at you to get off his lawn, but that’s a shame.

Look, If you need to keep your listening space minimal and austere, I get it, and how you consume your media is your prerogative—I certainly don’t want to be the kind of person telling someone that they’re doing it all wrong. Also, I imagine that you don’t have the same problems with clutter or crammed IKEA Kallax shelves that I do, and let’s not even get into vinyl delays or their environmental impact. But there’s something to be said for holding a record cover in your hands and poring over the liner notes, studying the front for hidden meanings and details, or comparing Steely Dan session players. Pulling something up on Spotify or Tidal or Apple Music and hitting play will never be the same as holding the real McCoy in your hands.

What can I say; I’m a romantic and a hoarder. Also, get off my lawn?

Anywho, feast your eyes on PRINT’s Top 30 Album Covers for 2021.

(And don’t just stream your music. Buy CDs, tapes, and records, and support musicians by purchasing their albums at places like Bandcamp. Rant over.)

Hayden Pedigo – Letting Go

Cover by: Jonathan Phillips

Makaya McCraven – Deciphering the Message

Cover by: Todd Gallopo and Tory Davis

Madlib – Sound Ancestors

Art Direction: Errol F. Richardson

Photo of Chladini plate: Richard Foster

Body/Dilloway/Head – Body/Dilloway/Head

Artwork: Bill Nace

Jerry David DeCicca – The Unlikely Optimist and His Domestic Adventures

Artwork: Jeb Loy Nichols

Arca – KICK ii / KicK iii / kick iiii / kiCK iiiii

Artwork: Arca and Frederik Heyman

Claire Rousay – A Softer Focus

Artwork: Dani Toral

Ryley Walker and Kikagaku Moyo- Deep Fried Grandeur

Artwork: Lily McNeil

Chris Crack – Might Delete Later

Cover Photo: Elizabeth De La Piedra

Lil Nas X – Montero

Cover: Charlotte Rutherford

Luke Stewart and Jarvis Earnshaw Quartet – s/t  

Cover: Robert Beatty

Sávila – Mayahuel

Cover painting: Maria Joan Dixon

Gold Dust – s/t 

Cover: Darryl Norsen

Nala Sinephro – Space 1.8

Cover: Maziyar Pahlevan

Andy Stott – Never the Right Time

Cover: Kurt Hutton

Claire George – The Land Beyond the Light

Cover: Linda Westin

Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Cover: Nwaka Okparaeke

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage

Design: Hingston Studio

VanJess – Homegrown

Art Direction: Amaya Segura

Cover: Dana Trippe

Floating Points & Pharoah Saunders – Promises

Design: Paul Diddy

Moor Mother: Black Encyclopedia of the Air

Cover Art: Curtis Talwst Santiago

Magdalena Bay – Mercurial World

Cover: Ram Han

Scott Hirsch – Windless Day

Cover: (Darryl Norsen)

Bastian Void – Topia

Cover: Joe Bastardo

Topaz Jones – Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Mama

Cover: Jason Fillmore Sondock

BLK VINTAGE – BLK ODYSSY

Artwork: Nana Frimpong Oduro and Ryan Hamilton:

Xenia Rubinos – Una Rosa

Cover: Camilo Medina

Marisa Anderson & William Tyler- Lost Futures

Cover: Sam Smith

Cedric Noel – Hang Time

Cover Photography and Creative Direction: Kriss Munsya

Bicep – Isles

Cover: Studio Degrau