Full branding exploration. Project launched with 2 separate lines: 2 variants for 'Original' wood pellets category, and 2 future variants for 'Farm to Stove' category. Provided all the strategy, branding design and standards, full package layouts and delivered final docs to printer.

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For this brand development, the client was a new startup in the State of New York, USA. The brand's target audience was consumers that enjoy heating with wood products as fuel instead of electrical or gas. The company’s environmental values

around forest stewardship, it’s off-grid production and other green / responsible production initiatives were amplified on the packaging, and used as a differentiator vs the majority of the competition. While these values were important to the founders, we felt it was also a great selling feature to capture a ‘green’ audience looking for a responsible product.

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As a woman-owned business that was devoted to green initiatives it was important to position the brand as a GREEN LEADER. Based on the Standards Presentation we provided, the client was able to determine that all the competitors lacked the initiative to invest in standards, even though there were no obstacles to achieve those standards or market such initiatives on the packaging. This presented a great opportunity for our team to set the HUDSON brand apart from all other brands in the current biomass fuel retail landscape. We provided the client with FTC guidance around labelling claims, the PFI as well as the FSC Standards on allowable claims. With our in-depth analysis on the gaps around biomass claims + qualifiers, the client has garnered the attention of industry standards leaders and is well ahead of the curve with future legislative changes to pack standards for this sector.

 
This concept was designed to align with the client's other brand, GUNKS GRILLING, in terms of fonts & treatment, and mirrors the same packaging hierarchy. Both brands were developed in unison to ensure alignment. The future heating line ‘Farm to Stove’ will be expanding the original branding hierarchy with this new category by inserting an added hierarchy level within the branding of the original line.

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The concept also explored the ‘Batch Testing’ beaker treatment. This icon visually and literally draws attention to the onsite testing that aims at preserving the premium standards of the product as qualified by the PFI designation, and galvanizes what the PFI Standards and what that testing means for the consumers. This sets the company and both brands apart from current competition. Very few brands aim for this industry standard and the icon solidifies the Hudson Valley Biomass as the GREEN BRAND LEADER.

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From our in-depth Standards Presentation, the client achieved several green standards and industry certifications. These certifications allow the client to make green claims on their packaging, along with guidance from their green lawyer with allowable phrasing. With the broad collection of badges there needed to be a way to summarize this green initiative. We proposed the client use the LOGO TAG LINE + AD SLOGAN as a way to encapsulate the message succinctly on the front of the package and the back. The GREEN NARRATIVE was elaborated on the back of pack while showcasing all the badges proudly and prominently; the aim is to generate brand integrity and a trustworthy product.

 

Production challenge: reducing the number of plates to optimize production and keep down costs. The bags measured 28" tall x 19" wide, with a 56" web width and so the plates were very large, print optimization was essential. Solution: we used a common back panel across all the SKUs.  Assigned a unique variant colour per SKU on the front panel, and kept all the other variable data as black on the front panel (barcodes + ADVANTAGES).