Introduction
Have you ever seen a product on the shelf and thought, "This looks so old and boring"? Maybe the packaging is fading or the logo looks like it's from the 1990s. Well, you're not alone! Lots of brands get stale over time and need a revival.
At Ladybug Studio, we specialize in giving tired brands a makeover through smart graphic design. In this post, I'll walk you through a recent case study where we helped reinvent a brand that had lost its way. Stick with me to see how a few simple design tricks can totally transform a product!
The Client: All Natural Granola
Our client was a small granola company called All Natural Granola (not their real name). They make tasty granola in several flavors like vanilla almond, tropical coconut, and blueberry pecan.
But here was the problem: Their packaging and branding was dated and doing them no favors. The logo looked like it was made 30 years ago in Microsoft Word, with a basic font and granola graphics that screamed 1980s. Their packaging followed the same style - plain plastic bags with minimal information.
As a result, All Natural Granola was struggling to stand out on crowded store shelves. Their sales were stagnant. They knew they needed a reboot but weren't sure where to start.
That's where Ladybug came in! They hired us to overhaul their branding from top to bottom. Our goal was to create packaging and logo designs that looked fresh and appealed to today's health-conscious consumers.
Are you ready to see the transformation? Let's go!
Step 1: Market research
Before putting pen to paper, wealways start projects by learning about the client's target audience. Who buys their product, and what motivates those buyers? What feelings do they want the branding to stir up?
For All Natural Granola, we did online surveys, hosted focus groups, and interviewed shoppers. Here were our key findings:
Target audience: Health-conscious adults aged 24-40 who like organic, natural foods. They read labels carefully and want to recognize ingredients.
Motivations for buying: This audience cares about eating clean, wholesome foods. They associate granola with an active, outdoorsy lifestyle. They also care about supporting small, family-run companies.
Feelings to evoke: Remember the taste of homemade granola made from clean, natural ingredients. Evokes the feeling of eating frugally, healthy, and full of energy.
These insights guided all of our design choices as we set out to revamp All Natural's look and feel.
Step 2: Logo redesign
With the audience research complete, it was time for the fun part - rolling up our sleeves to begin the design work!
First on the agenda: a new company logo. Their old logo was so dated it almost made me laugh. It was in a funky cursive font with clipart-style granola pieces. It looked like someone's Aunt Martha designed it on Microsoft Word 97.
To capture the feeling of homemade goodness, we designed a new hand-drawn style logo with a charming illustrated jar of granola. The font conveyed nostalgia and tradition. We used calm natural colors like olive green and tan to reflect the wholesome vibe they wanted.
The new logo is a huge improvement! It's warm, rustic, and immediately reminds you of delicious, freshly baked granola bars. What a difference from the old amateurish logo.
Step 3: Package design
Next up: reinventing their package design. This was our chance to make their products stand out beautifully on store shelves.
Their old plastic bags were not doing them any favors. The bags were flimsy and relied on stickers to convey information - not very premium-feeling. Plus, the bags were dominated by boring walls of text, with barely any visuals showing the tasty granola inside.
For the redesign, we:
Created custom paper bags: These felt higher quality and were easier to print beautiful graphics on.
Maximized mouthwatering product photos: We highlighted gorgeous full-bleed photos of their granola on every panel. This showcases each flavor beautifully.
Streamlined the text: We kept only essential info on the front, moving secondary content to the back. This decluttered the design.
Used natural textures and colors: Woodgrain patterns and muted earthy colors reinforce the wholesome vibe.
The end result was stunning standout packaging I wanted to buy and eat right away! The prominent product photos made each flavor look so delicious and wholesome. Just a glance at these bags immediately tells you what's inside.
Results: A fresh new era for the brand
When the project wrapped up, we were thrilled to see how well the redesign repositioned All Natural Granola as an artisanal, wholesome brand. The logo and packaging felt aligned with their focus on quality ingredients and heritage recipes.
The best part? The new look was a huge hit with shoppers! All Natural saw sales increases of 30% in the first year after the redesign. Their products started flying off shelves. They landed several major retailers as new stockists, reaching far more health-focused shoppers.
It just goes to show the power of smart graphic design. With a strategic revamp spearheaded by Ladybug Studio, we reinvented a stale brand into something fresh and irresistible. The visual makeover made old products feel totally new again. It's like we gave the brand a major cheat code to tap into growth they never saw before!
The takeaway: Don't be afraid to revitalize your brand!
If you have a product with great bones but lackluster branding, take a page from All Natural Granola. Look for opportunities to polish off stale design elements holding you back. With strategic updates guided by audience insights, you can breathe new life into any brand.
If it seems daunting, don't go it alone. Turn to pros like Ladybug Studio who can pinpoint small tweaks that make a big impact. With our expertise in packaging design, branding, photography, and more, we have the Midas touch for tired brands in need of revitalization.
Ready to reinvigorate your brand and wow shoppers? Get in touch today and let's chat! With Ladybug as your partner, you'll have a fresh look that sells in no time. The sky is the limit when your branding reflects the quality and passion inside your products.