branding is more than just your logo
Once in a while, I find a brand that intrigues me. The design is what catches my attention but, what keeps my interest goes so much deeper.
As a brand designer, I spend a lot of my energy thinking about fonts, colors, and illustrations, and how can I put them together in new and interesting ways that reflect my clients’ values. In school, we were challenged to think beyond aesthetics. How can we visually interpret complex ideas and emotions? What makes good design good? The answer to these questions is that good design is smart.
I found an example of this recently at the grocery store. I had heard of The Painterland Sisters from the ReGen Brands Podcast. I finally saw their yogurt at a store in my area and I added two containers to my cart. The yogurt brand was started by two sisters who have a regenerative dairy farm in Pennsylvania. They raised millions of dollars and their yogurt can be found in all 50 states. You would think it would be difficult to introduce yet another yogurt brand into grocery stores. Almost every iteration of yogurt can be found and this yogurt wasn’t anything that doesn’t already exist. So, why is The Painterland Sisters so successful?
Branding. These sisters know their audience. As I inspected the packaging after consuming the delicious yogurt, I saw so many smart design decisions. Yes, the packaging is unique and is very indicative of the sisters themselves, but I also could see that these two co-founders are brave and unbothered by what other competitor yogurt brands are doing. The label design is great but it’s also smart. There are illustrations on the back of the label for kids (or adults ((hi, hello, me!)) to color. I’m not a mom, but I imagine it’s a lot easier to get a kid to eat something good for them if it’s fun and interactive. For moms, Skyr is a low-sugar, high-protein food you can enjoy with your kid. Everything about the design of the packaging speaks to a health-conscious parent.
Most consumers don’t yet know about regenerative agriculture and I think they knew that was not going to be the thing that would separate them from competitors. Instead, they thought about what would make life easier for the consumer. Why would someone choose our Skyr over the other brands of Skyr on the shelf? The reason is because people connect with other people. The sisters are front and center giving their Skyr the warmth of a human who understands you. They chose to make themselves and their family farm the thing that separates them from the competitors. Holding the container in my hand almost made me feel as if I had just bought it from a farm stand. Family values and connection to where our food comes from shine through in the design of this brand not only in the fonts, colors, and illustrations but also in the personal touches and interactive qualities woven into the packaging. This is smart branding.
Learn more about this brand and where you can find their products: https://www.painterlandsisters.com/
So, at Outside Minds, we think beyond fonts and colors. We strive to make something visually stunning and smart. We create a unique avenue for companies to express their values, mission, and messages in ways that words alone cannot.
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